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THE 


^Vfro-^merican  School  Speaker 
and  Gems  of  Literature 


Sdfeool  Commencements,  Literary  Circles,  Debating  Clubs, 
and  Rbetoricals  Generally. 


BT 

Miles  V.  Lynk,  M.  D., 

Formerly  Editor  of  “The  Medical  and  Surgical  Observer;” 
Compiler  of  “Famous  Negro  Rulers;”  Member  of  the 
“American  Medical  Association  of  Colored  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,”  etc. 


Copyright,  i8q6,  by 
M.  V.  EYNK. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  M.  V.  LYNK  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 
• JACKSON,  TENN. 


/ 


V'v-  . • - "\  ■ • 


♦ 


& I ^>^33 


So  S-  s 
u?3^ 


dedication. 

To  the 

1 500.  000  Afro-American  School  Children 

In  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

And  to  the 

Noble  sons  and  daughters  of  Hand 
Whose  lofty,  soul  inspiring 
And  in  many  instances, 

Cl  assic  u tterances 
And  contained  herein, 

This  little  volume  s prayerfully 
Dedicated 

By  their  humble  servant 

<ghe  Compiler 

j 

A 


824589 


PREFACE. 

THE  foundation  for  manhood,  patriot- 
ism and  substantial  growth,  is  laid 
in  the  school  room.  During  the  school 
life  of  the  Afro-American  youths,  they 
utilize  the  thoughts  and  ideas  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon,  as  declamations,  both  prose 
and  poetry.  From  this  mass  of  literature, 
their  ambition,  their  aspirations,  and  their 
ideals  are  fashioned.  They  become  im- 
bued with  Anglo-Saxon  greatness  and 
glory,  to  the  utter  neglect  of  their  own. 
This  is  simply  the  natural  result  of  a 
cause — our  faulty  system  of  education. 
Suppose  their  ideals  were  shaped  by  Negro 
thought ; their  lives  moulded  after  tire 
standard  of.  the  truly  great  Afro-Ameri- 
cans, who  have  lived  before  them. J,  .who 
could  measure  the. tremendous  mental  aqd 
moral  forces  for  good  ? It  ^ rightly  said, 
that  “No  nation  is  greater  than  its  litera- 
*ure  ” or,  in  other  words,  the  literature  of 


VI 


I bbkack 


a people  portrays  and  rejects  their  inter- 
nal life  and  character.  It  is  a record  of 
the  past  and  an  incentive  for  the  future. 
When  I was  teaching  the  “young  ideas 
how  to  shoot,”  I was  forcibly  impressed 
with  the  necessity  of  a stimulus,  coming 
deep  from  the  best  brain  of  the  race,  to 
inspire  our  boys  and  girls  with  higher 
aims.  I believe  this  little  effort  will 
largely  accomplish  that  end.  Deprive 
England  of  her  Edmond  Spenser,  her  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  her  Wm.  Wordsworth,  her 
Byron,  her  Lord  Bacon,  her  Miltpn  and 
Shakespeare,  and  the  proud  Britisher  will 
fast  disappear  into  the  past.  Blot  from 
the  pages  of  American  literature  such 
names  as  Washington  Irving,  Geo.  BanT 
croft,  Wm.  Cullen  Bryant,  J.  G.  Whittier, 
Longfellow,  Holmes, Webster,  Mrs.  Stowe, 
etc.,  and  the  standard  of  American  citi- 
zenship will  be  appreciably  lowered.. 

Seeing  that  a knowledge  of  the  litera- 
ture (which  must  necessarily  reflect  the 
thoughts  and  inner  life)  of  a peop,  "S 


PREFACE. 


Y 

one  of  the  most  powerful  and  potent  fac- 
tors in  its  development ; it  is  the  earnest 
desire  of  the  compiler,  that  those  who 
peruse  these  pages,  may  strive  to  emulate 
the  noble  and  lofty  ideas  herein  set  forth. 
This  done,  the  realization  of  my  highest 
ambition  will  have  been  effected.  I have 
not  tried  to  get  together  a large  volume. 
My  aim  has  been  quality,  not  quantity. 
I have  tried  to  cull  from  the  large  mass 
of  Afro-American  literature  the  gems  — 
the  cream.  If  the  colored  youths  of  the 
country  become  imbued  with  these  exalted 
ideas,  no  power  on  earth  can  prevent  their 
rapid  rise  and  keep  them  from  occupying 
a position  on  a line  with  that  of  the  fore- 
most races  of  the  world.  The  way  to  in-, 
culcate  them  with  such  loftiness,  is  tc 
place  these  gems  into  a school  speaker  anc 
let  our  young  people  recite  them  at  their 
rhetoricals,  social  circles,  lyceums/debat- 
ing  clubs,  school  and  college  commence- 
ments. “Train  up  a child  in  the  way  he 
should  go  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 


VI 


PREFACE. 


depart  from  it,”  is  an  old  aphorism,  but 
both  patent  and  potent,  notwithstanding. 

Miees  V.  Lynk, 

Sept,  i,  1896.  Jackson,  Tenn. 


INTRODUCTION. 

IN  PUBLIC  SPEAKING,  maintain 
self  control,  and  above  all,  be  natural. 
Get  in  touch  with  your  hearers.  Take 
them  into  your  life,  feelings  and  confi- 
dence, as  it  were.  If  you  keep  possession 
of  yourself,  you  will  very  likely  have  al- 
most complete  control  of  your  audience. 
First  he  attentive  to  yourself  and  be  inter- 
ested in  what  you  are  saying.  Keep  the 
body  erect,  but  not  too  stiff. 

YOUR  EXPRESSION  is  all-import- 
ant. The  body,  with  voice,  eyes,  hands, 
arms,  head,  and  all  its  members,  should 
be  made  to  talk  and  express  meaning.  In 
order  to  do  this,  you  must  make  the  selec- 
tion your  own.  It  is  your  high  work  to 
make  your  thoughts,  feelings,  and  senti- 
ments that  of  others.  Make  gestures 
only  where  they  are  required.  A few 
well  placed  and  suited  to  the  thought  are 
better  than  many  made  at  random.  Let 


VIII 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  hand  take  any  shape  that  is  appro- 
priate— theopen  palm,  the  pointing  finger, 
the  clinched  fist,  and  do  it  all  in  an  easy, 
natural  way.  In  gestures  requiring 
only  one  hand,  make  use  of  the  right. 
Ordinarily,  the  hand  should  be  lifted 
from  the  side  with  a slight  curve  of 
motion.  Do  not  let  one  gesture  contra- 
dict another ; all  should  be  in  harmony. 
For  example  : When  repeating  one  verse 
similar  to  a previous  one  in  which  you 
have  expressed  madness,  do  not,  by  your 
gestures  and  expression,  express  pleasure. 
Remember,  your  arms,  legs,  and  neck 
are  not  sticks.  Use  them  freely,  and  at 
ease,  when  necessary.  Your  gesture  or 
expression  should  not  follow,  but  rather 
precede,  the  sentiment  it  is  intended  to 
convey.  Human  emotions  write  them- 
sel  ves  upon  the  face.  The  eyes  and  other 
features  should  express  joy,  sorrow, 
amazement,  hope,  despair,  anger,  or  good 
humor,  etc.,  according  as  these  are  con- 
veyed in  language. 


INTRODUCTION. 


IX 


THE  VOICE  should  be  full,  rich,  flex- 
ible, and  capable  of  easy  modulation.  The 
human  voice  is  capable  of  considerable 
cultivation,  yet  always  within  certain 
limits.  It  should  not  be  overworked  or 
strained.  With  a full  breath  give  a clear, 
prolonged  sound,  but  do  not  whine  nor 
speak  monotonously — have  variety  to 
your  tone  of  voice.  Your  voice  should 
have  volume.  It  shall  have  a certain 
carrying  power  that  will  enable  it  to  reach 
the  farthest  listener  without  rising  to  a 
shout.  A loud  voice  is  not  always  the 
most  effective,  nor  can  it  always  be  heard 
at  the  greatest  distance.  Do  not  mix 
your  words,  nor  jumble  them  together. 
You  should  enunciate  distinctly  for  the 
reason  that  you  are  trying  to  say  some- 
thing and  want  your  audience  to  under- 
stand  you  clearly. 

EMPHASIS  AND  PAUSES  should 
receive  close  attention.  There  is  a great 
deal  of  meaning  sometimes  in  a'  word 
emphasized.  Where  the  thought  is  in- 


x introduction. 

tended  to  be  pronounced,  there  should  be 
an  emphatic  expression  of  it.  Emphasis 
is  the  life  of  anti-thesis. 

To  express  the  correct  sentiment  of 
any  declamation  or  recital,  there  must  be 
pauses.  Silence  is  often  the  most  elo~ 
quent  speech*  Do  not  make  the  pause 
too  lengthy,  else  too  much  solemnity  and 
dullness  will  result.  Do  not  make  it  too 
short,  else  your  hearers  will  not  get  the 
true  import  of  the  sentence. 


AN  APPEAL  TO  MV  WHITE  BROTHER, 


<8V  O.  M.  STEWARD,) 

Aren’t  thou  my  brother?  Am  I no| 
thine? 

Of*  one  blood,  formed  by  hands  divine  ? 
Same  human  nature  in  each  breast, 

Upon  whose  base  most  actions  rest  ? 

Thou  claim’st  in  Christ  an  humble  part 
Yet  this  same  hope  elates  my  heart— 
With  joy  which  ne’er  can  be  expressed, 
For  God  made  both  and  both  he  blessed. 

The  grand  divisions  of  the  earth 
Were  formed  of  old  ere  man  had  birth, 
The  trees,  of  Eden  cast  their  shade 
Ere  God  had  Eve  and  Adam  made. 

To  Europe  thou,  Ethiopia  I 
Did  wander  ’neath  the  same  blue  sky', 
The  sons  of  Shem  in  Asia  dwelt 
And  round  the  ancient  altar  knelt 


12  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

Thus  separate  these  brothers  three 
Began  to  delve  their  destiny. 

Ham,  Shem  and  Japheth,  of  one  stock* 
As  chips  hewn  from  a common  block. 

A common  lot  befell  them  all* 

In  sin  and  folly  they  did  fall ; 

In  superstition  see  them  prone 

As,  blind,  they  worship  stocks  and  stone. 

In  grossest  darkness  see  them  grope* 
Without  one  ray  of  sweet  fond  hope* 

Till  -God  in  mercy  lends  a hand 
Enabling  them  again  to.  stand 
Erect  in  righteousness  and  peace* 

And  caused  their  doom  of  sin  to  cease.. 

But  not  at  once  to  all  did  Be 
The  power  give  to  righteous  be* 

To  know  again  the  living  God* 

Whose  paths  their  fathers’  feet  had  trod. 

Long  intervals  did  intervene 
’Twixt  dawning  lights  in  distance  seen, 
Which  broke  forth  first  on  Africa’s  shore*, 
Whence  Europe,  foudly  caught,  the  glow:. 


AND  CTMS  OF  LITE^ATUR^,  j, 

Then  Asia  and  America 

Came  in  for  their  own  lawful  share, 

But  the  last  named  did  quite  out-run 
The  former  by  a score  to  one. 

As  dawning  follows  shades  of  night, 

So  Africa’s  darkness  did  her  light, 

For  now  in  darkness  lieth  prone, 

The  land  whereon  this  light  first  shone, 

• 

-Her  forlorn  sous,  their  blighting  lot 
Hath  been  in  foreign  lands  to  rot ; 
Oppressed,  enslaved,  degraded,  they 
Like  Job  hath  often  cursed  the  day 

That  they  were  born,  and  tanged  to  die,, 
That  death  might  hush  the  fruitless  sigh 
For  human  rights  and  true  manhood, 

Are  all  by  those  terms  understood  ! 

Again  her  daw  ning  hath  begun, 

And  we  have  seen  her  rising  sun, 

Which  holds  a promise  in  each  ray, 

Of  EthiojDe’s  hope-— a .brighter  day  5 


v4  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

A da}?  of  reason  ! justice  ! right ! 

When  judges  will  not  rule  by  might> 

B it  mete  to  all  what’s  simply  just 
And  thus  discharge  their  sacred  trust. 

Morals,  wealth  and  education. 

Essentials  are  in  every  station, 

True  culture  and  true  Godly  fear, 

Their  blessed  fruit  will  surely  bear. 

One  day ’s  as  thousands  in  His  sight, 
Who  ordered  forth  this  latter  light, 
Which  first  on  Calvary’s  mount  was  seen* 
A light  sent  down  from  God  to  men. 

That  promised  day,  that  perfect  day 
Will  come  sure  as  to  God  we  pray, 

When  with  the  best  of  human  kind 
We’ll  stand,  and  favor  with  them  find. 

Receive  the  treatment  due  to  man. 

Our  color  then  no  more  a ban  ; 

When  justice,  reason,  right  will  rule, 
And  there  shall  be  a different  school. 

r ^ ' 1 ■ ' Iff  j**  ' , 

Of  ethics  and  philosophy, 

And  draft  be  present  sophistry. 

When  that  day  comes  you  will  he  proud,, 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


15 


To  say  you  helped  to  rend  the  shroud 
That  did  impall  our  darkened  reason 
And  kept  us  back  so  long  a season. 

I know  thou  wilt,  for,  at  thy  best, 
Thou  ’rt  not  unkind  and  will  not  rest 
Beneath  a sense  of  what’s  unjust, 

Nor  grind  thy  brother  in  the  dust 

For,  thou  ’rt  my  brother,  I am  thine, 
Of  one  blood,  formed  by  hands  divine, 
Same  human  nature  in  each  breast, 
Upon  whose  base  most  actions  rest. 


TRUE  WEALTH. 

(by  o.  m.  steward.) 

Did  I possess  in  wealth  of  love, 

The  classics  all  combined  ; 

Had  I explored  the  mines  of  earth, 
Where  treasures  lie  confined; 

Did  Science  bow  her  lofty  head, 

And  bend  to  me  the  knee ; 

Did  heads  now  pressed  by  crowns  of  gold, 
And  hands  that  sceptred  be, 


1C  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

Fall  off  and  roll  at  my  command, 

And  I stood  king  alone ; 

And  denizens  from  other  worlds, 

Did  wait  around  my  throne  ; 

I should  be  far  the  poorer  then, 

With  all  my  wealth  and  power, 

If  Christ  reigned  not  within  my  heart, 

If  God  was  not  my  tower; 

Than  I am  now  with  simple  faith, 

By  which  I ‘‘Abba”  cry  ; 

With  God  and  Christ  and  heaven  and  life. 
And  fearing  not  to  die. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  NEGRO  CITIZENSHIP. 


Extract  from  an  address  delivered  by  Booker  T. 

Washington , before  the  J\  at’l  Educational 
Ass’ n,  at  Buffalo , N.  V.,  July  . 
io,  1896. 

“It  is  interesting  to  note  the  sugges- 
tions which  have  been  made  toward  im- 
proving the  condition  or  getting  rid  of 
the  Negro  in  this  country.  The  problem 
will  not  be  solved  by  the  ‘getting  rid' 


AND  GEMS  OF  LI  flfiRATURE  17 


method.  I notice  that  if  a man  has  i per 
cent,  of  Negro  blood,  he  is  a Negro,  so  you 
see  we  are  a strong  race,  and  at  that  rate 
instead  of  your  absorbing  us,  we  will  ab- 
sorb  you. 

“No ! There  is  only  one  way  to  solve 
the  Negro  problem,  and  that  is,  treat  him 
like  a Christian  gentleman. 

“Besides,  we  have  more  right  here  than 
you  have,  for  we  came  here  by  special 
invitation,  while  you  people  came  here  in 
1492,  against  the  protest  of  the  leading 
citizens.  Now  we  are  here  we  are  going 
to  stay  and  help  lift  you  up.  (Laughter.) 

What  is  the  actual  need  of  the  people 
in  the  Black  Belt  of  the  South?  Most  of 
them  are  ignorant,  poor  and  in  debt. 
Schools  on  the  plantations  are  rarely  in 
session  over  three  months.  Each  child 
on  these  plantations  has  allowed  for  his 
education  about  90  cents.  Ninety  cents 
for  the  black  boy  in  Alabama  and  $18  for 
the  white  boy  i.i  Massachusetts  ! 


18  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

“What  is  the  remedy  ? One  thing  sure  ■ 
slavery  gave  the  Negro  one  good  quality, 
the  habit  of  work.  But  the  trouble  is 
their  labors  are  confined  to  the  lower 
forms.  At  Tuskegee,  we  are  trying  to 
train  young  men  and  women  to  do  the 
higher  kind  of  work.  The  Negro  can 
raise  the  cotton,  but  he  cannot  follow  it 
up  through  the  mills.  The  Negro  is 
allowed  to  get  pig  iron,  but  when  he  tries 
to  follow  it  to  the  watchspring  the  door  is 
shut  in  his  face.  The  Negro  must  be 
trained  so  that  he  can  do  the  higher  work. 

uBut  what  is  the  remedy  ? I can  show 
you  a people  who  have  had  a leader  for 
io  years,  and  who  have  under  his  guid- 
ance, solved  the  problem  for  themselves. 
And  I saw  a white  man,  a Southern  man 
who  had  gained  so  much  faith  in  the 
Negro’s  ability,  he  has  given  $400  this 
year  for  their  education. 

“The  greatest  injury  that  slavery  did 
my  people  was  to  prevent  them  from  ex- 
ercising their  reasoning  faculties,  which 


AND  OEMS  OF  LITERATURE, 


19 


would  lead  them  to  look  out  for  them* 
selves.  For  250  years  they  depended  on 
somebody  else  for  everything  and  you 
cannot  expect  them  to  learn  to  do  for 
themselves  in  30  years,  unless  they  have 
a guide  who  will  show  them,  what  to  dp 
first. 

‘‘The  emotional  side  of  our  nature  leads 
ns  to  spend  a large  part  of  our  time 
getting  ready  to  live  in  the  next  world. 
They  have  a song  down  in  Louisiana 
which  says;  'Give  Me  Jesus,  You  Take 
.All  the  World/  and  the  white  man  takes 
him  at  his  word!  (Storm  of  laughter 
and  applause). 

“Now  I think  they  had  better  have  our 
rreligion,  and  a little  of  this  world’s  good 
things  along  with  it* 

“I  claim  that  during  the  last  30  years 
we  have  not  had  the  chance  to  become 
half  men.,  but  if  we  can  have  the  same 
help  in  the  future  which  we  have  had  in 
the  past,  we  are  not  only  going  to  be 
whole  men,  but  we  will  be  solid,  ,sober 


20  AFaO  AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

and  helpful  American  citizens.  That  the 
South,  staggering  under  the  “burden  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  has  made  mistakes 
in  handling  the  Negro,  is  not  strange. 

“Think  of  the  difference  between  the 
boy  of  the  South  and  the  boy  of  the 
North.  You  must  help  us  to  raise  the 
level  of  our  character,  or  we  shall  lower 
yours. 

“It  seems  to  me  that  this  matter  should 
be  taken  away  from  politics  and  party 
and  society,  and  made  a question  of  duty* 
of  man  toman,  of  Christian  to  Christian., 

“X  have  come  to  the  point  where  I can 
sympathise  with  a white  mam  as  well  as. 
a black  mam.  No  race  can  go  on  shelter- 
ing hatred  for  another  race  without  being; 
degraded.,  I say  no  m an  is  going  to  drag 
me  down  by  making  me  hate  him, 

“I  cannot  say  too,  much  for  industrial 
education..  Unless  a man  has  something 
you  want,  you  do  not  care  much  about; 
him.  When  a black  man  in  the  South,, 
who  spends  $ to, ooo  a.  year  in  freight 


AND  Q^MS  OF  DITKRATUNK,  2J 

charges  to  a railroad,  wants  to  ride*  he 
has  no  difficulty  in  getting  a seat  in  the 
white  man’s  ear,  and  if  there  is  not  one, 
a Pullman  palace  car  will  be  put  on  for 
him.  That  is  what  it  means  to  know 
something  and  be  somebody.  That  is  the 
trend  of  industrial  .education, 

“In  conclusion,,  I make  no  selfish  plea. 
It  is  to  save  yourselves.  The  Negro  can 
afford  to  have  yon  wrong  him,*  but  you 
cannot  afford  to  do  it.  We  are  simple 
people  and  can  wait.  If  a people  wants 
to  push  the  Negro  down*  we  can  help  to 
pull  you  up.  We  went  into  slavery  with- 
out  knowledge  and  came  °ni  American 
citizens.  We  went  in  without  a language 
and  came  out  with  the  ballot  in  our  hands. 
;Education— it  will  be  the  Negro!?  guiding 
..starA 

XHJg  OUTLOOK. 

Tak  ing  all  the  eircti  ms  tan  ces  Into  con- 
sideration, the  colored  people  have  no 
ineasou  to  despair.  We  still  jive,  and 


22  AFROAMFRICAN  SCHOOL  SPFAKFR 

while  there  is  life  there  is  hope.  The 
fact  that  we  have  endured  wrongs  and 
hardships  which  would  have  destroyed 
any  other  race,  and  have  increased  in 
numbers  and  public  consideration  ought 
to  strengthen  our  faith  in  ourselves  and 
our  future.  Let  us,  then,  wherever  we 
are,  whether  at  the  North  or  at  the  South, 
resolutely  struggle  on  in  the  belief  that 
there  is  a better  day  coming,  and  that  we, 
by  patience,  industry,  uprightness  and 
economy  may  hasten  that  better  day.  I 
will  not  listen  myself  and  I will  not  have 
you  listen , to  the  nonsense,  that  no  people 
can  succeed  in  life  among  a people  by 
whom  they  have  been  despised  and  op- 
pressed. The  statement  is  erroneous, 
and  contradicted  by  the  whole  history  of 
human  progress.  A few  centuries  ago, 
all  Europe  was  cursed  with  serfdom,  a 
slavery.  Traces  of  this  bondage  still  re- 
main, but  are  not  easily  visible.  The 
Jews,  only  a century  ago,  were  despised, 
hated  and  oppressed^  hut  they  have  de~ 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE-  23 

fled,  met  and  vanquished  the  hard  con- 
ditions imposed  upon  them,  and  are  now 
opulent  and  pqwerful,  and  compel  respect 
in  all  countries. 

Take  courage  from  the  example  of  all 
religious  denominations  that  have  sprung 
up  since  Martin  Luther.  Each  in  its 
turn  has  been  oppressed  and  persecuted. 
Yet  all  in  turn  have  conquered  the  pre- 
judice and  hate  of  their  surroundings. 
Greatness  does  not  come  to  any  people 
on  flowery  beds  of  ease.  We  must  fight 
to  win  the  prize.  No  people  to  whom 
liberty  is  given,  can  hold  it  so  firmly  or 
wear  it  so  grandly  as  those  who  wrench 
their  liberty  from  the  iron  hand  of  the 
tyrant.  The  hardships  and  dangers  in- 
volved in  the  struggle  give  strength  and 
toughness  to  the  character,  and  enable  it 
to  stand  firm  ill  storm,  as  well  as  in  sun- 
shine. One  more  thought  before  I leave 
this  subject,  aud  it  is  a.  thought  I wish 
you  all  to  lay  to  heart.  Practice  it  your- 
selves, and  teach  it  to  your  children— -it 


24  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

is  this : Neither  we,  nor  any  other 

people,  will  ever  be  respected  until  we  re- 
spect ourselves,  and  we  will  never  respect 
ourselves  until  we  have  the  means  to  live 
respectably.  An  exceptionally  poor  and 
dependent  people  will  be  despised  by  the 
opulent,  and  despise  themselves.  You 
cannot  make  an  empty  sack  stand  on  end. 
A race  which  cannot  save  its  earnings, 
which  spends  all  it  makes,  and  goes  in 
debt  when  it  is  sick,  can  never  rise  in  the 
scale  of  civilization,  no  matter  under  what 
laws  it  may  chance  to  be.  Put  us  in 
Kansas  or  Africa,  and  until  we  learn  to 
save  more  than  we  spend,  we  are  sure  to 
sink  and  perish.  It  is  not  in  the  nature 
of  things,  that  we  should  be  equally  rich 
in  this  world’s  goods.  Some  will  be  more 
successful  than  others,  and  poverty,  in 
many  cases,  is  the  result  of  misfortune, 
rather  than  of  crime  ; but  no  race  can 
afford  to  have  all  its  members  the  vie  is 
of  this  misfortune,  without  being  con- 
sidered a worthless  race.  Pardon  me, 


AND  G$:.I3  OF  DITFRATURD. 


25 


therefore,  for  urging  upon  you,  my  people, 
the  importance  of  saving  your  earnings, 
of  denying  yourselves  in  the  present  that 
you  may  have  something  in  the  future, 
of  consuming  less  for  yourselves,  that 
your  children  may  have  a start  in  life, 
when  you  are  gone.  With  money  and 
property  comes  the  means  of  knowledge 
and  power.  A poverty  stricken  class  will 
be  an  ignorant  and  despised  class,  and  no 
amount  of  sentiment  can  make  it  other- 
wise. This  part  of  our  destiny  is  in  our 
hands.  Every  dollar  you  lay  up  repre- 
sents one  day’s  independence  -one  day  of 
rest  and  security  in  the  future.  If  the 
time  shall  ever  come  when  we  shall 
possess  in  the  colored  people  of  the 
United  States,  a class  of  men  noted  for 
enterprise,  industry,  economy  and  suc- 
cess, we  shall  no  longer  have  any  trouble 
in  the  matter  of  civil  and  political  rights! 
The  battle  against  popular  prejudice 
shall  have  been  fought  and  won,  and  in 
common  with  all  other  races  and  colors \ 


26  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


we  shall  have  an  equal  chance  in  the  race 
for  life.  The  laws  which  determine  the 
destinies  of  individuals  and  nations  are 
impartial  and  eternal.  We  shall  reap  as 
we  sow.  There  is  no  escape.  The  con- 
ditions of  success  are  universal  and  un- 
changeable. The  nation  or  people  which 
shall  comply  with  them,  will  rise,  and 
those  which  violate  them  will  fall,  and, 
perhaps,  will  disappear  altogether.  No 
power  beneath  the  sky  can  make  an 
ignorant,  wasteful  and  idle  people  pros- 
perous, or  a licentious  people  happy. 
One  ground  of  hope  for  my  people  is 
founded  upon  the  returns  of  the  last  cen- 
sus. One  of  the  most  disheartening 
ethnological  speculations  concerning  us 
has  been  that  we  shall  die  out ; that,  like 
the  Indian,  we  shall  perish  in  the  blaze 
of  Caucasian  civilization.  The  census 
sets  that  heresy  concerning  us  to  rest. 
We  are  more  than  holding  our  own  in  all 
the  Southern  states.  We  are  no  longer 


27 


AND  GIOMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

four  million®  of  slaves,  but  six  millions 
of  freemen. 

[: Delivered  by  Fred,  Douglass,  at  Flmtm,  N>  Y.f 
August  j,  /gdo.J 

“WANTED  HIGHER  IDEALS." 


{BY  FKOff,  w.  m, 

Fx  tract  from  an  address  delivered  to  the  graduating 
class  of  Lane  College,  May  1896. 

I shall  speak  tto  you  on  the  ^Need  of  a 
Higher  Ideal  Manhood,”  The  exaltation 
of  mind  over  matter,  of  love  over  hate4 
will  magnify  man  im  the  sight  of  man  as 
an  the  sight  of  his  Maker.  Only  ideals 
are  immortal,  and  men  are  immortal  as 
they  stand  for  ideals,  Nations  and  indi- 
viduals come  down  to  ns  through  their 
-intellectual  forces.  Sparta,  whose  only 
thought  was  the  exaltation  of  matter  over 
mind,  whose  only  school  was  that  of 
cunning  and  blood,  left  no  masters  of 
anind  in  art,  science  and  literature  as  did 
Athens. 

\ 


:58  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

Often  out  of  the  death  of  the  material 
springs'  up  new  mental  powers,  grand 
soul  forces  which  lift  the  world  to  brighter 
hopes,  to  higher  ambition,  to  purer 
thought,  to  holier  deeds  to  God.  This 
hour  demands  a higher  manhood  and  the 
responsibility  for  making  the  world  better 
rests  upon  every  individual  in  the  com- 
munity. Every  man  is  an  ideal,  high"  or 
low,  and  pulls  the  world  up  or  drags  it: 
down,  to  the  extent  of  his  influence.  The 
higher  ideal  recognizes  only  that  superi- 
ority which  does  superior  deeds  in  lifting 
'mankind  to  superior  conditions.  Michael 
Angelo  saw  the  image  of  an  angel  in  a. 
piece  of  rough  marble.  Nero,  cold  and 
material,  saw  nothing  but  the  insensate 
.stone  with  which  to  pile  into  monuments; 
to  tell  of  his  cruelty  and  the  carnage  of: 
the  Ronian  sword.  Raphael  looked  on 
canvas  and  threw  upon  it  in  sublimity 
and  beauty  the  harmonious  ideals  of  his; 
soul.  Napoleon  saw  only  tented.,  fields 
q£  blood,  and  death. 


AND  GEMS  OF  EITERATURE,  ^ 

Hold  up  the  ideals  of  peace  and  love 
before  the  youth  of  the  land.  Do  not  put 
before  them  those  things  which  will  make 
them  cruel  and  wicked.  We  must  break 
away  from  old  customs  and  habits  and 
stand  out  boldly  for  higher  and  purer 
thought.  It  is  easy  to  move  gregariously 
with  the  masses,  but  it  requires  courage 
to  step  out  for  truth  and  justice  to  all 
men  regardless  of  race  or  color,  The 
human  mind  can  form  no  loftier  ideal 
than  that  of  obedience  to  law.  Let  the 
law  be  supreme  and  let  every  man  be 
subject  thereto.  The  community  or  the 
'inaii  who  violates  law  will  be  the  great 
sufferer.  Take  high  stand  in  all  the 
■walks  of  life  and  in  all  dealings  with 
men.  It  is  better  to  be  wronged  than  to 
uvrong.  It  is  better  to  be.  slandered  thar 
'to  slander.  No  man  -can  afford  to  have 
jow  thoughts,  to  say  low  things  and  do 
'low  deeds.  Wealth  sought  for  the  sake 
of  wealth,  is  the  lowest  of  ideals,  and 
only  the  desire  to  have  power  over  men. 


ZO  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Th  is  low  ideal  of  wealth  causes  the  crash 
of  banks*  the  wreck  of  business  concerns 
and  the  ruin  of  communities.  Wealth  is 
only  valuable  as  it  exalts  mind  over 
matter.  Any  other  ideal  of  wealth  is  low 
and  sinful. 


BY'  Jv  e.  M?‘Al>AMSs  l‘SNN. 

You  may  talk  about  the  Negro* 

You  may  name  his  faults  infinite^ 

But  you  cannot  turn  a wheel 
That  a Negro  isn’t  in  it. 

You  may  block  his  civil  rights, 

You  may  say  yon  are  uag’in  it 
But  before  yon  turn  around, 

Some  sharp  Negro  will  he  in  it*. 

You  may  build  your  Chinese  walls*, 

You  may  plan  for  every  minute  5 
But  with  all  your  wildly  schemes,, 

Some  few  Negroes  will  he  in  it.  > 


THE  NEGRO  “IN  IT/* 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  31 

You  may  form  your  “Lilly  Whites,” 

You  may  kill  your  bear  and  skin  it ; 

When  the  pie  is  passed  around, 

Some  shrewd  Negro  will  be  in  it. 

Be  it  high,  or  be  it  low, 

From  the  cook  pot  to  the  Senate  ; 

There  is  not  a place  on  earth, 

That  a Negro  isn’t  in  it. 

% 

So  my  friend  just  stop  your  folly, 

Draw  this  thought  out  now,  and  spin  it, 

God  intends  from  first  to  last, 

That  a Negro  must  be  in  it. 

You  may  try  the  plan  of  Pharoah, 

Kill  the  race  out,  try  to  thin  it ; 

When  the  census  rolls  are  called, 

Negroes  always  will  be  in  it. 

If  you  keep  on  with  your  lynching, 

Take  this  thought  down  now  and  pine  it; 

When  you  reach  the  shores  of  shoel, 
You  will  find  some  Negroes  in  it. 


32  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

You  may  reach  the  land  Beulah, 

If  perchance  you  e’er  should  win  it ; 
Don’t  you  emigrate  my  brother, 

When  you  see  some  Negroes  in  it. 


FORTUNE  ON  THE  VALOR  AND  FUTURE  OF  HIS 
RACE. 


Extract  from  an  address  by  T.  T.  Fortune , on  “Colored 
People's  Day  ” at  the  Cotton  Palace , 

Waco,  Texas. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen:  It  is  often  said 
of  the  Afro-American  in  the  south  that 
he  has  no  past,  that  he  has  no  history ; 
hut  the  fact  remains  and  it  is  recorded  in 
the  books  where  it  will  remain  “until  the 
wreck  of  matter  and  the  crush  of  worlds” 
that  in  every  crucial  period  in  the  history 
of  this  country  he  was  very  much  in  evi- 
dence. He  was  the  leader  of  the  party 
that  defied  the  British  in  Boston  harbor 
before  actual  war  had  been  declared 
against  the  mother  country,  and  the  com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts  has  but  re- 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


33 


cently  dedicated  a monument  to  com- 
memorate the  fact,  upon  whose  front  is 
engraved  the  names  of  Attucks,  the  black 
man,  and  Maverick  and  Caldwell,  who 
with  him  shed  the  first  blood  that  led  to 
the  independence  of  the  American  colonies 
and  to  the  establishment  of  a republic 
which  is  to-day  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  powerful  on  the  globe.  And  more 
than  that:  there  were  more  than  3,000 
Afro-American  soldiers  enlisted  in  the 
revolutionary  army  commanded  by  Gen. 
Geo.  Washington,  of  whom  it  has  been 
written  that  he  was  “ first  in  war,  first  in 
peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen.0  We,  too,  have  part  with 
those  who  have  launched  the  ship  of  state 
upon  the  ocean  of  nations.  Go  read 
what  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  said  to  the 
black  freeman  of  New  Orleans  in  the  war 
of  1812,  when  the  British  troops  invested 
that  stronghold  ; read  the  splendid  prom- 
ises he  made  them.  Then  read  the  valor 
they  displayed  in  the  great  battle  in 


34  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

which  Old  Hickory  routed  the  red  coats. 
Then,  saddest  of  all,  go  read  how  the 
promises  were  broken,  as  they  have  al- 
ways been  by  the  American  white  men, 
when  made  to  black  men  ] And  in  this 
same  war  of  1812,  mark  the  part  The 
black  soldier  played  in  the  navy,  especially 
in  the  splendid  victory  won  by  Commo- 
dore Perry  on  Lake  Erie.  In  all  the  In- 
dian wars,  especially  that  against  the 
Seminoles  in  Florida,  and  the  Creeks  and 
Choctaws  of  Alabama,  we  bore  a valor- 
ous part ; and  then  in  the  great  war  be- 
tween the  states,  this  vast  audience  knows 
that  200,000  black  troops  fought  in  the 
union  army— fought  like  tigers— and  that 
2op,ooo  of  them  remained  in  the  fields 
of  the  south,  and  made  the  supplies  that 
kept  the  confederate  armies  in  the  field, 
and  protected  the  wives  and  children  of 
those  in  the  field.  Did  not  these  sable 
children  wear  the  uniform  of  the  gray  in 
a double  sense  ? We  fought  on  both  sides 
of  the  question.  We  did  so  knowing 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  35 

that  the  success  of  one  side  meant  free- 
dom  to  us,  and  that  the  success  of  the 
other  meant  continued  servitude.  Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  you  will  seek  in  vain  for 
a parallel  to  this  state  of  the  case  in  all 
history.  How  shall  we  account  for  it? 
It  is  worth  to  seek  for  cause  of  result  so 
paradoxical  .and  unusual  in  the  history  of 
mankind.  I think  not.  I think  that 
philosophy  and  logic  may  both  be  silent 
in  the  presence  of  a phenomenon  for 
which  a dozen  reasons  may  be  given.  We 
have  the  result.  The  200,000  who  fought 
on  the  Union  side  received  their  reward, 
the  gratitude  of  a re-united  people  in 
which  a small  annual  pension  reminds 
them  ; they  received  the  emancipation  of 
4,500,000  of  their  brethren  from  the  bonds 
of  chattel  slavery ; and  they  received  the 
right  to  vote,  to  take  part  in  all  high  and 
holy  functions  of  citizenship,  of  mankind. 
And  what  have  they  received  who  fought 
on  the  side  of  the  Gray  ? This  is  a ques- 
tion upon  which  there  is  much  difference 


36  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 


of  opinion.  A short  time  ago,  I read  of 
the  death  and  burial  of  a black  man  who 
acted  a part  in  one  of  the  Mississippi 
regiments.  It  does  not  matter  what  the 
part  was.  The  man  who  digs  out  the 
foundation  of  an  empire,  who  cooks  the 
soldiers’  food  or  grooms  the  troopers’ 
charger,  plays  his  part  as  much  as  the 
general  who  plans  the  battle  and  leads 
the  army  to  victory.  The  mudsill  of 
society  is  as  necessary  as  the  dome  that 
rises  in  the  sky ; the  Websters,  the  Cal- 
houns, the  Sumners,  the  Robt.  J.  Walker, 
—well,  this  man  died.  When  he  breathed 
his  last,  he  was  drawing  a pension  from 
the  treasury  of  Mississippi.  The  hearse 
that  bore  his  remains  to  their  final  resting 
olace,  was  followed  by  a long  line  of 
veterans  of  the  lost  cause,  battle-scarred 
veterans  of  high  and  low  degree,  who  re- 
garded the  dead  black  as  one  of  them. 
They  laid  him  to  rest  in  the  sod  of  his 
fellows  ; and  the  words  of  the  past  sighed 
in  the  trees  this  requiem  : 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  37 

“On  fame’s  eternal  camping  ground, 

His  silent  tent  is  spread ; 

And  glory  marks  with  silent  round, 

The  bivouac  of  the  dead.” 

When  I read  this  silent  tribute  in  a 
New  York  paper,  my  heart  swelled  with- 
in me,  and  I forgot  that  the  man  honored 
had  fought  on  the  lost  side  of  a great 
cause ; I forgot  that  those  who  did  him 
honor  had  had  it  in  their  hearts  to  en- 
slave me  and  mine.  I remembered  only 
that  the  brave  comrades  of  the  brave  dead, 
had  stood  at  the  grave  of  a fellow  soldier, 
with  uncovered  head,  and  paid  him  the 
last  honors  of  war  and  friendship.  I 
know  that  it  is  common  to  call  aloud 
against  the  white  man  of  the  South  for 
certain  acts  of  his  which  conform  neither 
to  logic,  nor  law,  nor  gratitude  ; but  even 
when  doing  this,  I cannot  forget  that  m 
every  state  and  city  and  hamlet  and  plan- 
tation in  the  South,  there  has  always 
been,  and  there  is  to-day,  a helpful  sym- 
pathy and  interest  which  sustains  the 


38  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

weak,  which  cares  for  the  sick,  and  in  a 
measure  respects  the  strong.  And  I be- 
lieve the  time  will  come,  when  every 
difference,  now  a bone  of  contention  be- 
tween the  races,  will  have  been  composed 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties  interested. 
My  faith  in  this  respect  is  strong,  because 
I have  seen  so  many  changes  for  the 
better  in  the  past  thirty  years. 

STONEWALL  JACKSON. 


Defiant  in  the  cannon’s  mouth, 

I see  a hero  of  the  south, 

Serene  and  tall ; 

So  like  a Stonewall  in  the  fray 
He  stands,  that  wond’ring  legions  say : 
“He  is  a wall.” 

He  heeded  not  the  fierce  onsets 
From  bristling  fields  of  bayonets  ; 

He  heeded  not 

The  thunder  tread  of  warring  steeds, 
But  holds  his  men  of  daring  deeds 
Right  on  the  spot. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


Ana  is  it  insanity  ? 

Nay,  this  is  but  the  gravity 
Of  that  vast  mind, 

That,  on  his  Southland’s  altar  wrought 
And  forge  d the  bats  of  warrior  thought 
Of  thunder  kind. 

An  eagle  eye,  a vulture’s  fight, 

A stroke  leonine  in  might ; 

The  man  was  formed 
For  that  resolving,  deep  inert 
Which  sprang  stupendously  alert, 

And,  sometimes,  stormed. 

And  so,  his  mount  to  the  charge, 

Or  led  the  columns  small  or  large, 

The  victor  rode ; 

Till  over  danger’s  castle  moat, 

And  in  the  canon’s  silenced  throat, 

His  charger  trode. 

And  so,  with  fierce  far  speed,  or  near 
To  right  and  left  and  on  the  rear, 

His  fury  fell 

Upon  the  foe  too  much  to  meet ; 

For  Jackson’s  soul  abhored  retreat, 
Except  from  bell. 


40  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

But  comes  the  saddest  at  the  last, 

As  sad  as  life’s  ideal  past — 

And,  oh  ! how  sad ! 

That,  in  his  pride,  the  Stonewall  fell 
By  hands  of  those  he  loved  so  well— 
The  best  he  had. 

How  sad  that  dark  and  cruel  night 
Should  fold  her  mantle  on  the  sight 
Of  those  tried,  true 
And  valiant  men,  who  followed  where 
Their  leader  went,  despising  fear 
And  darkness,  too ! 

But  sometimes  triumph  is  sublime, 
The  most  when  on  the  brink  of  time, 
And  his  was  so  ; 

A shady  shore  beyond  he  sees, 

And  asks  for  rest  beneath  its  trees, 
And  it  was  so. 

And  do  you  ask,  can  he  whose  sweat 
Hath  clods  of  weary  slave  toil  wet, 
The  praises  sing 

Of  one  who  fought  to  forget  the  chain 
That  manacles  the  human  brain  ? 

Do  such  a thing? 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


41 


I answer,  yes  ! if  he  who  fought, 
h o uglit  bravely  and  believed  he  ought, 
If  that  can  be ; 

If  manhood  in  the  mighty  test 
Of  mankind  does  its  manliest 
Believingly. 

Then  past  songs  for  him  shall  ring 
And  he  shall  live  while  poets  sing; 
And  while  he  lives, 

And  God  forgives, 

The  great  peculiar  martial  star, 

In  old  Virginia’s  crown  of  war, 

Will  be  her  Stonewall,  proud  and  sad, 
The  bravest  that  she  ever  had. 

Rev.  A.  A.  Whitman. 


jfi  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCKGGIy  SFEAAjvn. 

THE  REASON  WHY.* 


It  is  the  eve  of  battle ; 

The  soldiers  are  in  line ; 

The  roll  of  drum  and  bugle  blast, 
Marshall  that  army  fine. 

The  hour  is  fraught  with  mystery — 

A hush  pervades  that  throng, 

And  each  one  thinks  of  home  and  friends, 
And  says  at  heart,  “How  long?” 

The  Colonel  rides  before  his  men, 

His  thoughtful  brow  is  bare ; 

He  calls  the  color-sergeant, 

And  tenders  to  his  care 

The  nation’s  pride,  the  dear  old  flag — 

The  loved  red,  white  and  blue, 

And  says  with  earnest  tone,  and  grave: 

I intrust  this  now  to  you. 

* Note. — During1  the  civil  war,  May  27,  1863,  the 
colored  troops,  under  Col.  Nelson,  were  given  the  al- 
most impossible  task  of  taking  Port  Hudson.  Color- 
Sergeant  Anselmas  Planciancois  said  to  Col.  Nelson, 
before  the  engagement,  “Colonel,  I will  bring  back 
these  colors  to  you  in  honor,  or  report  to  God  the 
reason  why.”  During  the  struggle  he  lost  his  life 
and  reported  “to  God  the  reason  why,” 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

Yes,  color-bearer,  take  in  charge 
Your  country’s  flag  to-day, 

'And  to  the  conflict  bear  it— 

The  thickest  of  the  fray. 

Bear  it  with  lofty  courage, 

And  to  it  faithful  be ; 

This  flag  has  inspired  thousands, 
And  led  to  victory. 

Take  it  and  never  leave  it, 

’Tis  a solemn  charge  to  thee ; 
Bring  back  to  me  this  banner, 
This  ensign  of  the  free! 

“Colonel,”  the  color-sergeant  said, 
Holding  the  flag  on  high, 

I’ll  bring  it  back  or  else  report 
To  God  the  reason  why ! 

Away  to  the  front  he  bears  it, 
Cheered  on  by  comrades  brave, 
Anxious  to  liberate  his  race, 

Bring  freedom  to  the  slave. 


44  AFRO- AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

They  charge  upon  Port  Hudson, 
Where,  sheltered  by  a wall, 

The  foenien  cut  them  down  like  grass, 
They  bravely  charge— but  fall. 

Yes,  on  that  field,  where  thousands 
Unheeding  the  tumult  lie, 

He  left  the  flag,  reporting 
To  God  the  reason  why. 

Another  bears  that  flag  along, 

Holding  it  proud  and  high, 

But  the  sergeant  has  reported 
To  God  the  reason  why. 

Oh,  Christian  soldier,  going  forth 
To  battle  for  the  Lord, 

Be  filled  with  manly  courage, 

Aud  proudly  bear  God’s  word. 

It  is  the  standard  of  your  King, 

Who  rules  the  earth  and  sky; 

You  must  win,  through  it,  the  victory, 
Or  tell  Christ  the  reason  why. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


45 


The  war  will  soon  be  ended ; 

In  the  dust  you  soon  will  lie  ; 

Go  forth  and  conquer,  or  report 
To  God  the  reason  why. 

Geo.  C.  Rowe. 


THE  FARM  HOUSE  BY  THE  RIVER. 


I know  a little  country  place 
Where  still  my  heart  doth  linger, 

And  o’er  its  fields  is  every  grace 
Lined  out  by  memory’s  finger. 

Back  from  the  lane  where  poplar  grew 
And  aspens  quake  and  quiver, 

There  stands  all  bath’d  in  summer’s  glow 

A farm  house  by  the  river. 

1 

Its  eaves  are  touched  with  golden  light 
So  sweetly,  softly  shining, 

And  morning  glories  full  and  bright 
About  the  doors  are  twining. 

And  there  endowed  with  every  grace 
That  nature’s  hand  could  give  her, 

There  lived  the  angel  of  the  place 
In  the  farm  house  by  the  river. 


46  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

Her  eyes  were  blue,  her  hair  was  gold, 
Her  face  was  bright  and  sunny  ; 

The  songs  that  from  her  bosom  rolled 
Were  sweet  as  summer’s  honey. 

And  I loved  her  well,  that  maid  divine, 
And  I prayed  the  Gracious  Giver, 

That  I some  day  might  call  her  mine 
In  the  farm  house  by  the  river. 

’Twas  not  to  be — but  God  knows  best, 
His  will  for,  aye  he  heed ! 

Perhaps  amid  the  angles  blest, 

My  little  love  was  needed. 

Her  spirit  from  its  thralldom  torn 
Went  singing  o’er  the  river, 

And  that  sweet  life  my  heart  shall  mourn 
Forever  and  forever. 

She  died  one  morn  at  early  light 
When  all  the  birds  were  singing, 

And  heaven  itself  in  pure  delight 
Its  bells  of  joy  seemed  ringing. 

They  laid  her  dust  where  soon  and  late 
The  solemn  grasses  quiver, 

And  left  alone  and  desolate 
The  farm  house  by  the  river. 

Paul,  Dunbar. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


47 


IN  MEnORIAn— THE  dRAND  OLD  riAN— 
( DOUGLASS). 


The  blow  that  has  fallen  ! The  grand 
old  man 

Has  run  his  earthly  race  ; 

Ham’s  greatest  son  now  lieth  low 
In  death’s  cold  stern  embrace. 

Ah  ! what  a noble  life  was  his  ! 

How  grand  the  lessons  taught. 

’Gainst  odds  that  would  have  crushed 
most  men, 

Undoubtedly  he  fought. 

Nor  cease  to  battle,  for  the  cause 
For  which  he  strove,  was  won  ; 

And  his  loved  people  felt  the  rays 
Of  freedom’s  glorious  son. 

From  lowest  depths  to  grandest  heights 
By  his  own  strength  he  rose, 

And  proved  that  force  and  merit  win, 
Tho’  half  the  world  oppose. 


4S  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 


Genius  for  lofty  flights  had  he  ; 

Much  learning,  too,  he  gained ; 

In  oratory  few  could  reach 
The  high  rank  he  attained. 

And  yet,  so  simple  were  his  ways, 

So  affable,  so  kind, 

Men  wondered  which  the  greater  was, 
His  genial  heart  or  mind. 

But  now  the  tongue  is  hushed,  which 
The  threats  of  foes  deterr’d, 

Which  called  for  justice  till  the  cry 
A nation’s  concience  stirred. 

Ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust; 

They  lay  his  body  low, 

And  as  the  clods  upon  it  fall, 

A people’s  tears  do  flow. 

Our  Douglass  walks  the  earth  no  more 
His  destined  work  is  done  ; 

He  made  a valiant,  glorious  fight ; 

The  victor’s  crown  is  won. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

We  mourn  his  loss,  our  tears  will  fall 
Our  hearts  will  throb  with  pain ; 

For  we  all  know,  on  earth  we  ne’er 
Shall  see  his  like  again. 

We  grieve  for  our  illustrious  dead, 
For,  Oh,  we  loved  him  well ! 

And  placed  upon  his  hallowed  bier 
A wreath  of  immortality. 

Shall  not  his  life  inspire  us? 

Shall  not  his  spirit  rest  ? 

Upon  our  race  impelling  us 
To  strive  to  do  our  best  ? 

To  work,  to  elevate  ourselves, 

To  seek,  to  know,  to  dare  ? 

To  fix  our  standard  high,  to  live 
Amid  a purer  air. 

Grand  North  Carolina  proved  that  she 
Has  reached  the  higher  plane 
By  honoring  the  truly  great, 

Despite  the  fools’  disdain. 


50  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 


The  noblest  of  the  earth  will  join 
In  reverencing  his  name. 

And  ages  yet  unborn  will  help 
Perpetuate  his  fame. 

But  the  most  fit  memorial 
We  can  our  hero  give, 

The  one  he  would  prefer,  is  this : 

That  we  so  truly  live 

That  Africa’s  sons  will  gain  the  heights 
The  proudest  race  have  sought, 

And  show  the  world  they  can  excel 
In  word,  in  deed,  in  thought. 

That  sable  skin  and  fleecy  hair, 

Affect  not  moral  worth, 

That  genius  dwells  as  well  with  us, 

As  with  the  fair  of  earth. 

As  some  day  if  we  but  do  our  part, 
Earth  will  discern  the  plan, 

Confess  the  fatherhood  of  God, 

The  brotherhood  of  man. 

Miss  C.  M.  Thompson. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


51 


A CARELESS  WORD. 


’Twas  but  a word,  a careless, 

As  thistle  down  it  seemed  as  light, 

It  paused  a moment  on  the  air, 

Then  swiftly  onward  winged  its  flight. 

But  busy  gossip  caught  the  word, 

And  flying  rumor  gave  it  weight, 

And  then  that  little  word  became 
A vehicle  of  angry  hate. 

f 

Another  lip  caught  up  the  word 
And  breathed  it  with  a haughty  sneer. 

It  gathered  weight  as  on  it  sped, 

That  careless  word  in  its  career. 

And  then  that  word  was  winged  with  fire, 
Its  mission  was  a thing  of  pain, 

For  soon  it  fell  like  lava  drops, 

Upon  a wildly  tortured  brain. 

It  wrung  with  anguish,  fierce  and  wild, 

A bleeding,  fainting,  quivering  heart, 
’Twas  like  a hungry  fire  that  searched 
Through  every  tender  vital  part. 


52  AFKO-A:u GKiCAN  ISCROOL,  speaker 


And  then  another"  joy  of  life 

With  bitter  burning  tears  was  blurred, 

A load  of  care  was  heavier  made, 

Its  added  weight  that  careless  word. 

Oh,  how  it  pierced  a bleeding  heart, 
What  agony  its  fountains  stirred; 

It  passed,  but  bitter  anguish  marked 
The  pathway  of  that  careless  word. 

Mrs.  F.  E.  W.  Harper. 


WE  ARE  RISING.* 

a.,.  , . 

Among  the  sayings  of  our  race, 
Suggestive  and  surprising, 

That  fill  a most  exalted  place, 

Is,  “Tell ’them  we  are  rising. ” 

*Note. — Some  ;years  ago,  Dr.  Jos.  Roy,  of  the 
American  Missionary  Association  visited  one  of  their 
Georgia  schools.  Before  taking  his  leave  he  asked 
the  School : “WTiat  message  shall  I take  from  you  to 
the  people  of  the  North?”  One  boy,  R.  Wright,  of 
Augujsta,  exclaimed  : “Tell  them  that  we  are  rising.” 
He  is  now  a graduate  of  Atlanta  University  and  is, 
President  of  the  Georgia  State  Indiistrial  School  for 
colored  youths,  at  Savannah.  Verily  he  has  risen  1 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

The  question  asked  for  light  and  truth, 
What  to  the  North  your  greeting  ? 

The  answer  from  a Negro  youth — 
“Tell  them  that  we  are  rising.” 

Within  Atlanta’s  classic  halls, 

This  youth,  self  sacrificing, 

Wrote  high  his  name  upon  her  walls, 
His  motto:  “We  are  rising.” 

Out  in  the  world  he  makes  his  mark, 
Danger  and  fear  despising, 

E’er  soaring  upward  like  the  lark, 

My  brethren  : “We  are  rising.” 

He  meets  the  foe  with  voice  and  pen, 
With  eloquence  surprising! 

Give  us  a chance,  for  we  are  men  ! 

Most  surely  we  are  rising  ! 

Rising  to  take  our  place  beside 
The  noble,  the  aspiring; 

With  energy  and  conscience  pride, 

To  the  best  things,  we’re  rising ! 


94  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

Within  the  class  room  is  his  place, 

Greek,  latin,  criticising, 

To  raise  the  youthful  of  his  race, 

And  show  the  world  we’re  rising ! 

Go  forth  my  friend,  upon  your  way, 

Each  obstacle  despising, 

Prove  by  your  efforts  every  day, 

To  all  that  we  are  rising ! 

In  farming,  trade  and  literature, 

A people  enterprising ! 

Our  churches,  schools  and  home  life  pure, 
Tell  to  the  world  we’re  rising. 

Rev.  Geo.  C.  Rowe. 


THE  RIVER  OF  DEATH. 

There  is  a river  broad  and  wide, 

Its  waters  dark  and  still, 

But  when  we  reach  that  swelling  tide 
We  need  to  fear  no  ill. 

For  just  beyond  its  distant  shore, 
Shines  our  immortal  home ; 

Where  we’ll  be  safe  forevermore, 
From  sorrow’s  simplest  form. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


55 


To  some  that  river  is  delight, 

They  long  to  journey  o’er  ; 

While  others  fear  to  come  in  sight, 
Of  its  cold,  dreary  shore. 

Its  sloping  bank  is  dark  and  steep, 
Doth  seem  so  rough  and  cold ; 
That  river  is  so  wide  and  deep, 

Its  depth  hath  ne’er  been  told. 

And  yet  we  must  that  river  pass, 

Ere  our  life’s  journey’s  done  ; 

For  time  doth  glide  away  so  fast ; 
And  soon  all  will  be  gone. 

No  earthly  friends  with  you  can  go 
Across  the  dismal  way  ; 

They’ll  go  no  further  than  the  shore 
There  earthly  ties  must  stay. 

But  there  is  one  can  go  with  you, 
Beyond  the  gloomy  tide  ; 

He  is  so  loving,  kind  and  ; 

He’ll  stay  close  at  thy  side. 


AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


Then  trust  in  him  if  you  would  have, 

His  presence  with  you  stay  ; 

And  when  this  vain  world  you  must  leave, 
He’ll  go  with  you — away. 

J.  E.  Gordon. 


WHEN  WE  ARE  DEAD. 


BY  JOSIE  D.  HEARD. 

O,  the  good  things  said  of  us  when  we 
are  dead, 

If  only  while  we  lived  that  they  were  said  ; 

Many  a heart  were  spared  a sigh, 

Joy  would  lighten  many  an  eye, 

Where  sorrow’s  weight  we  often  bear  in- 
stead. 

We  approach  the  couch  of  death  with 
quiet  dread, 

With  tender  tone  and  very  softest  tread, 

As  if  we  feared  the  slumberer  to  disturb, 

We  speak  with  only  kindly  eyes  and  word. 


AND  GEMS  OF  x^iERATURE. 


57 


The  dead  are  sightless  and  the  lips  are 
dumb, 

And  dull  the  hearing,  never  more  shall 
come 

The  pang  by  us  inspired  of  weary  pain, 

Into  that  pulseless  bosom  e’er  again. 

But  could  we  rouse  again  to  life  that  clay 

Which  once  we  loved  but  now  so  sense- 
less lay ; 

No  act  or  speech  or  look  should  e’er 
offend 

Our  dear  depaited  relative  or  friend. 

And  so  through  life,  we  heavy-hearted  go. 

Within  our  heart  a chamber  filled  with 
woe, 

Then  let  us  turn  from  those  who’ve 
passed  away, 

Unto  the  living  whom  we  meet  each  day. 

The  dead  are  dead,  they  neither  feel  nor 
hear ; 

Let  tender  words  fall  on  a living  ear, 

Who  knows  how  much  of  comfort  will 
impart, 

A kind  word  falling  on  a troubled  heart. 


58  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


DARKNESS. 

Presumptuous  darkness,  hie  away, 
Thou  shalt  not,  shalt  not  spoil  the  day. 
The  night  is  thine,  and  thine  alone, 
Avaunt  to  blackness  all  thine  own. 

Bright  is  my  day,  and  calm  and  clear, 

I love  the  peace  it  brings  so  near. 
Presumptuous  darkness,  hie  away, 

Nor  dare  break  in  upon  my  day. 

Dost  thou  indeed  not  fear  the  sun, 

That  like  a groom  doth  daily  run 
In  garments  shimmering  as  the  light — 
And  thou,  oh,  darkness  as  the  night? 

Away,  presumptuous  darkness,  hie, 

On  thine  own  wings  of  blackness  fly. 
Bright  is  my  day,  and  calm  and  clear. 
It  is  a day  to  me  most  dear. 

Benj.  Tucker  Tanner. 


59 


-NI)  GUMS  OF  EITERATURE. 

THE  MYRTLE  HILL  GATE. 

How  I wonder  if  you’ll  meet  me, 

By  the  gateway  as  of  yore, 

When  your  scarf  unfurled  to  greet  me, 
When  your  smile — a welcome  bore. 

Yes,  I’ll  wonder,  muse  and  ponder, 

Till  I seem  with  you  to  wait ; 

Till  I stand  beside  you  yonder, 

By  the  fond  old  Myrtle  Hill  Gate. 

Hark ! the  old  church  bells  are  ringing 
Lo  ! the  graves  among  the  trees, 

And  the  people,  they  are  singing  : 

What!  O!  Murdock,  what  of  thee! 

Is  it  that  the  bells  are  ringing, 

O’er  the  alter  of  your  grave  ? 

No,  it  is  my  fancy  singing, 

For  the  meeting  that  I crave. 

Meet,  then  meet,  dear  Murdock,  meet  me, 
When  I’ve  reached  the  gate  again, 

After  years  have  tossed  and  beat  me 
Over  life’s  unfriendly  main. 


60  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


Come  responding  to  my  erring, 

Banish — all  the  years  to-day, 

For  my  heart  to  you  returning, 

Ne’er — again,  shall  turn  away. 

Miss  Nannie  A.  Barber. 


LIFE’S  STRUGGLE. 


If  you  wish  to  be  successful 
In  the  pathway  of  your  life, 
Press  forward,  ever  seeking 
The  burden  of  the  strife. 


If  the  struggle  be  a fierce  one, 

Fight  it  with  patience,  vim ; 

The  end  will  come  before  you  think, 
And  in  it  you  will  win. 

If  you  struggle  thus  with  courage, 
The  barriers  will  surely  fall, 

And  you’ll  find  a way  to  conquer, 

Be  that  power  great  or  small. 

Tet  the  maxims  of  your  conscience, 
Guide  and  guard  you  in  the  fight, 

And  with  duty  as  your  watchword, 
You  will  ever  go  aright. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


Push  onward  then — and  upward, 
Always  strive  to  lead  the  van, 

“For  as  fire  doth  prove  the  metal.” 
So  do  struggles  prove  the  man. 

Mrs.  F.  E.  H.  Wassom. 


WRITE  THY  NAJTE. 


Write  your  name  upon  the  sand, 

The  waves  will  wash  it  out  again, 
Trace  it  on  the  crystal  foam, 

No  sooner  it  is  writ  than  gone. 

Carve  it  in  the  solid  oak, 

’Tis  shattered  by  the  lightning  stroke. 
Chisel  it  in  marble  deep, 

’Twill  crumble  down  it  cannot  keep. 

Seeker  for  the  sweets  of  fame, 

On  things  so  frail,  write  not  thy  name. 
With  thee  ’twill  wither,  die,  rot; 

On  things  so  frail,  then  write  it  not. 


62  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHoOE  SPEAKER 

Would’st  thou  have  thy  name  endure? 
Go  write  it  in  the  book  of  life, 

Engrave  it  on  the  hearts  of  men, 

By  humble  deeds  performed  in  love. 

N.  H.  EnseEy. 


CITIZENSHIP. 


Extract  from  an  address  delivered  by  Miles  V.  Lynk , 
M.  D.,  before  the  Literary  Society  of 
Lane  College , 1896. 

The  title  citizen  was  originally  applied 
to  the  free  residents  of  a city.  Its  appli- 
cation has  been  gradually  enlarged  until, 
according  to  our  American  ideas,  it  in- 
cludes any  native  born  or  naturalized  in- 
habitant of  a place  or  country.  Thus,  a 
person  may  be  a citizen  of  a municipality, 
a country,  a state,  a combination  of  states, 
and  I may  add,  of  the  world.  To-day  the 
world  is  filled  with  hero  worshippers,  and 
every  class,  nation  or  race  of  persons  is 
appreciated  or  depreciated  according  to 
the  status  of  its  citizenship.  That  u a 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


63 


man  is  a man  for  a’  that  ” is  nearer  true 
than  we  are  sometimes  led  to  believe. 
This  brings  to  our  attention  a grand 
theme.  It  is  nothing  less  than  the  rivalry 
and  competition  of  the  different  branches 
of  the  human  family.  Citizenship  carries 
with  it  very  grave  responsibilities  at  ill 
imes  m general ; because  the  influence 
exerted  not  only  affects  contemporary 
citizens,  but  generations  unborn.  It  car- 
ries with  it  grave  responsibilities  now  in 
particular,  because  there  are  problems 
confronting  you,  never  before  confronting 
a people  of  such  magnitude,  of  such 
numbers,  since  “God  said  <Let  there  be 

g - • I repeat,  never  were  over  200- 
°oo,ooo  people  called  upon  to  solve 
weightier  problems  than  confront  the 
Negro  races  of  the  world  to-day.  For 
this  reason  the  preparation  of  yourselves 
tor  the  coming  conflict  involves  a most 
important  undertaking. 

It^is  said  When  John  C.  Calhoun  was 
ege,  some  of  his  classmates 


coi 


44  A>jO-AMKKJCAN  SCHOOL  SPEjAKRR 

ridiculed  him  for  his  intense  application 
to  his  studies.  “Why  sir”  he  replied,  “I 
am  compelled  to  make  the  most  of  my 
time  in  order  to  acquit  myself  creditably 
when  in  Congress.”  The  boys  laughec* 
at  the  very  idea.  Mr.  Calhoun  retorted 
by  saying:  “If  I thought  I would  not 

reach  the  national  capitol,  as  a represen- 
tative of  my  people,  within  three  years 
after  my  graduation,  I would  leave  college 
this  very  day.”  While  this  expression 
may  have  been  unbecoming,  this  ambi- 
tion, self  reliance,  and  high  aim  in  life, 
were  undoubtedly  the  marked  character- 
istics which  brought  Calhoun  his  splendid 
success  in  life.  Young  man,  young  lady, 
are  you  making  the  most  of  yonr  time? 
Well  did  the  poet  say  : 

“Full  many  a gem,  of  purest  ray  serene, 
The  dark  unfathomed  caves,  of  ocean  bear ; 
Full  many  a flower  is  born  t o blush  un- 
seen, 

And  waste  its  sweetness  on  th< : desert  air.” 
How  many  young  men  and  young 
ladies,  with  God-given  privileges,  and 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


65 


aatual  abilities,  are  wasting  their  sweet- 
ness, their  talents  on  the  desert  air? 
The  world  in  general,  and  the  Negro  race 
m particular,  are  wanting  men  and  women 
of  ability — capable  of  producing  results. 
A brother  of  the  great  orator,  Edmond 
Burke,  after  listening  to  one  of  his  char- 
acteristic and  eloquent  appeals  in  parlia- 
ment, was  noticed,  being  engaged  in  deep 
meditation.  On  being  asked  what  he 
was  thinking  about,  replied : “I  am 

Wondering  how  Ned  contrived  to  monopo- 
lize all  the  talent  in  the  family,  but  I re- 
member,” said  he,  “all  through  child- 
hood while  we  were  at  play,  he  was  at 
study.”  Those  who  do  not  thus  apply 
themselves  should  remember  the  classic 
words  of  John  Milton,  on  reaching  his 
33d  birthday : 

“How  soon  hath  time,  the  subtle  thief  of 
youth,. 

Stolen  on  his  wing  my  three  and  twentieth 
year. 

My  hasting  days  fly  on  with  full  career, 

F my  late  spring  no  bud  or  blossom 
howeth.” 


66  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

Mark  you,  the  world  doesn’t  care  a fig 
for  any  college  certificate.  It  simply  asks : 
What  can  you  do  ? What  do  you  know  ? 
I do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood.  I do 
not  wish  to  be  understood  as  underrating 
a college  education.  Far  from  it ! The 
drill  and  discipline  you  are  getting  from 
mathematics  and  the  languages  ; the  pol- 
ish you  are  acquiring  from  your  studies 
in  rhetoric,  literature  and  history ; the 
depth  of  thought  and  mental  acumen  you 
are  developing  from  logic  and  philosophy, 
will  make  you  veritable  giants- — will  make 
you  as  rich  in  intellectual  acquirements 
and  ability  as  Croesus  was  in  gold  mines 
and  stocks.  What  I mean  to  say,  is  : 
The  world  puts  no  premium  upon  a dip- 
loma or  a degree,  per  se.  The  belief  has 
obtained,  to  some  extent,  among  students, 
that  if  they  could  only  graduate,  could 
only  get  their  proverbial  sheepskins,  or 
pluck  their  degrees,  as  it  were ; they 
would,  like  the  goddess  Minerva,  spring 


61 


AND  GEJMS  OF  LITERATURE 

full  armed  from  the  very  head  of  Jove 
and  take  the  front  rank  among  men. 

You  are  now  laying  the  foundation  for 
your  life’s  work,  for  good  or  bad  citizen- 
ship. I imagine  I can  hear  the  pulsating 
of  some~expectant  heart  as  its  possessor 
outlines  his  life’s  policy.  He  mounts  the 
steed  of  imagination,  and  soars  away  up- 
on the  wings  of  time.  If  the  legal  pro- 
fession have  an  attraction  for  him,  he  will 
distance  Blackstone,  Kent  and  Story. 
If  ministerially  inclined,  Wesley,  Spur-, 
geon,  Beecher  and  Talmage,  grow  into  in- 
significance. If  a disciple  of  Aescu- 
lapius,  Jenner,  Billroth,  Koch,  Pastuer, 
McDowell  and  j.  Marion  Sims,  will  have 
to  look  to  their  effete  end.  If  a prac- 
titioner of  pedagogy,  the  names  Froebel, 
Herbart,  Pestalozzi,  Mann  and  Washing- 
ton, will  sink  into  the  bottomless  sea  of 
oblivion.  If  blessed  by  the  muses, 
Paderewski  and  Mendelssohn  will  have 
to  take  a back  seat,  k In  this  your  aspi- 
rations are  laudable  and  no  doubt  find 


68  AF RO- AMERICAN  SCHOOL/  SPEAKER 

lodging  in  the  breasts  of  all  ambitious 
students  some  time  in  their  school  career. 
When  the  student  of  to-day  becomes  the 
citizen  of  to-morrow,  it  falls  to  his  lot  to 
witness  the  funeral  and  burial  of  many  of 
his  ideals.  But  in  the  beautiful  lines  of 
Longfellow : 

“Some  dreams  are  nothing  else  but  dreams* 

Unnatural  and  full  of  contradiction; 
Yet  some  of  our  most  romantic  scenes, 

Are  something  more  than  fiction. ” 

I may  be  a pessimist  or  an  alarmist* 
but  I believe  the  future  Negro  citizen,  of 
whom  you  are  a part  and  parcel,  will  have 
greater  things  to  accomplish  and  greater 
odds  against  which  to  contend,  than  any 
class  of  persons  history  has  given  any 
account  of.  This  calls  to  my  mind  a re- 
print from  the  London  Spectator  that 
Came  to  my  notice  not  many  days  ago. 
After  speaking  at  length  of  the  Negro’s 
inability  to  cope  with  the  other  races,  this 
journal,  nurtured  and  reared  under  the 
British  flag,  where  it  is  said,  cast  pred- 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  IA 

judice  does  not  obtain,  ventured  the 
opinion  that  in  twenty  years  from  to  day, 
the  Negro  can  live  nowhere  under  the  sun, 
except  by  the  consent  of  the  white  man.’ 
I should  be  glad  to  see  the  lion  and  lamb 
lie  down  together,  but  true  to  racial  in- 
stinct, and  all  history,  I think  this  repre- 
sents the  prevailing  sentiment,  and  I may 
add,  wish,  of  the  dominant  race  to-day. 
And  since  I am  somewhat  inclined  to*the 
Darwinian  theory  of  natural  adaptation 
and  selection  or  the  survival  of  the  fittest, 
I believe  the  question  of  individual  and 
racial  competence,  should  engage  your 
most  vigilant  attention.  There  is  one 
quality  that  the  Ethiopian  and  Caucasian 
races  possess  in  common : It  is  impossible 
to  banish  either  from  any  considerable 
portion  of  the  earth’s  surface.  This  can 
not  e said  of  the  American  Indian  and 
Ma  y races.  This  makes  the  problem 
mot  serious.  Some  thoughtless  persons 
co  ’d  that  the  Negro  family  of  the 
i species  can  not  attain  to  much 


70  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 


height  because  of  the  depths  from  which 
they  are  compelled  to  emerge.  But  were 
not  the  Angles  and  Saxons  the  progeni- 
tors of  the  Germanic  family  and  of  the 
proud  Anglo-Saxon,,  pagons,  and  even 
canibals?  Were  the  Saxons  not  slaves  ? 
Is  our  history  essentially  different  from 
that  of  the  rest  of  humanity,  where  is 
their  boasted  superiority  ? Gen.  Grant 
was  once  heard  to  remark  : “It  will  be  a 

terrible  day  when  the  Chinese  learn  the 
modern  methods  of  warfare.”  Is  not  the 
same  underlying  principle  applicable  to 
Negro  citizenship?  Young  men  and 
young  ladies,  students  of  Lane  college,  it 
devolves  upon  you  to  help  raise  the  status 
of  Negro  citizenship,  not  only  in  America, 
but  in  the  entire  world.  It  devolves  up- 
on you  to  exert  a civilizing  influence,  not 
like  that  exerted  by  the  Caucasian  in 
Africa — with  the  sword  and  at  the  behest 
of  maxim  guns,  but  through  the  medium 
of  true  Christianity  and  literature.  If  my 
memory  is  correct,  Lord  Bacon  is  quoted 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  h 

as  saying:  “Reading  makes  a full  man, 

speaking  a ready  man,  and  writing  an 
exact  man.”  This  is  as  true  of  the  black 
man  as  it  is  of  the  white  man.  If  the 
influence  of  literature  and  civilization- 
raised  the  low  Germanic  tribes  from  the 
vilest  savages  to  their  present  dazzling 
heights,  it  will  do  the  same  for  the 
Negro.  Search  history  from  the  first 
period  down  to  the  present  time,  and,  I 
think,  you  cannot  find  a struggle  for 
liberty  that  will  outshine  in  heroism, 
generalship  and  undaunted  valor,  that  of 
the  Haitiens.  I suggest  that  it  would  be 
an  inspiration  to  our  young  people  to 
study  the  history  of  these  valient  people. 
It  will  teach  you  that  “great  things  come 
out  of  Nazareth.”  ( Napoleon  met  his 
Waterloo  twice — first  at  the  hands  of 
Toussaint  and  Dessalines  in  1803,  and 
then  at  the  hands  of  Wellington  in  1815. 
First  by  a sable  son-  of  Ham,  and  after- 
wards  by  a Caucasian, 


% Ar*0-AMRRICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

CMRISTflAS. 

Ye  natal  day,  upon  whose  gift 
The  world  received  her  greatest  boon, 

We  hail  thy  coming,  greet  thy  trust, 

Thy  cause,  the  cause  of  all  mankind, 

Of  all  events,  and  noted  days, 

Thou  art  the  one  of  greatest  praise. 

On  Judah’s  plain  that  ’veutful  night, 
When  all  the  wise  their  vigils  kept, 
When  Betlile’m’s  star  illumed  their  sight 
And  Herod,  too,  nor  rest,  nor  slept, 

Down  to  Jerusalem  they  came, 

To  learn  of  them  their  Savior’s  name— 

The  scribes  and  priests  by  homage  led 
Men  of  the  east  and  men  discreet, 
“Where  is  the  King  of  Jews?”  they  said, 
“We  came  to  worship  at  his  feet.” 

They  poured  their  gifts  and  treasures 
down, 

For  him  who’d  honor  Israel’s  crown, 

V/hen  each  had  paid  his  pilgrim’s  dues, 
And  turned  him  thence  his  homeward  way, 
Warned  not  to  tell  his  king  the  news, 


AND  GEMS  OF  EITEKATURE. 


73 


Of  babe  and  mother,  or  their  lay, 

An  angel  unto  Joseph  spake, 

And  bade  him  them  to  Egypt  take. 

Egyptian  darkness  filled  the  realm, 

And  all  above  was  still  and  cold, 

They  must  escape  the  wrath  of  him 
Of  whom  the  angel  had  foretold. 

On  fleetest  foot  they  sped  their  way, 

Eager  they  spun  th’  approach  of  day. 

1 

On  Egypt’s  soil  they  safely  stood, 

Till  Herod’s  death  relieved  their  will, 
And  now  in  Gallilee  they  would 
The  prophet’s  augury  fulfill ; 

For  it  is  written,  as  we’ve  seen, 

“He  shall  be  called  a Nazarene.” 

Thus  ends  the  tale  in  honor  told, 

Which  gives  to  earth  redemption’s  cause, 
Who  would  this  benediction  hold, 

Must  first  obey  th’  eternal  laws. 

For  ever  do  we  hear  the  cry, 

“Jesus  of  Naz’reth  passeth  by.” 


74  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCIIOOE  SPEAKER 

Sweet  epoch  of  creation’s  life, 

Sweet  moment  of  eternal  bliss, 
Exhaustless  be  our  praise,  and  rife 
The  blessings  which  his  promise  gives. 
His  birth  in  man  new  hope  allured, 

His  death,  to  man,  that  hope  assured. 

Jno.  T.  C.  Newsom, 


ON  THE  DEATH  OF  REV.  J.  C.  PRICE,  D.  D, 


A star  arose  at  close  of  night ; 

’Tis  dark  before  the  dawn  ; 

A brilliant  star,  a righteous  light, 

Fair  token  of  the  morn — 

The  day  when  the  oppressor’s  hand, 
Should  palsied,  be,  throughout  the  land, 

A man  of  influence  and  power, 

Who  laid  himself  with  grace, 

Upon  the  altar  of  his  God, 

An  offering  for  his  race, 

E’er  prodigal  of  strength  and  thought, 
And  from  his  race  withholding  naught. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  75 

He  cried  : “If  I’d  a thousand  tongues, 
And  each  a thunderboldt, 

I’d  turn  them  on  in  mighty  power, 

Like  an  electric  volt ; 

I’d  send  them  forth  with  lightning  pace — 
To  help  to  elevate  my  race!” 

With  purpose  firm  he  lived  his  creed, 

And  toiled  with  might  and  main, 

Each  day  more  clearly  saw  the  need, 
Despising  wordly  gain — 

He  counted  not  his  life  too  dear 
To  spend  in  raising  mortals  here. 

The  manly  form  now  prostrate  lies  ; 

The  flashing  eye  is  dim ; 

The  hand  oft  raised  for  principle, 

Touched  by  the  monster,  grim, 

Is  laid  upon  the  quiet  breast, 

The  life  word  finished — entered  rest. 

The  tongue  of  fire  is  silent  now ; 

The  loving  heart  is  still ; 

The  mind  surcharged  with  burning 
thought, 

Yet  loyal  to  God’s  will — 


76  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 


Has  ceased  to  plan  for  mortals  here, 

Is  active  in  another  sphere. 

A sense  of  loss  our  hearts  shall  feel  ; 

Hushed  is  the  sweet  voice  now  ; 
While  we  shall  miss  liis  thrilling  words, 
To  God  we  humbly  bow  ; 

And  thank  him  for  the  sacrifice 
So  freely  made  by  Joseph  Price. 

His  task  on  earth  was  finished  soon  ; 

Life’s  battle  nobly  won. 

His  rests  from  labor  ere  the  noon. 

His  life  race  fully  run. 

He  watches  the  conflict  here, 

And  perfect  love  has  cast  out  fear. 

He  is  not  dead  but  gone  to  join 
The  host  from  care  set  free  l 
He  is  not  dead ; his  spirit  lives 
Where  joys  immortal  be  l 
Where  noble  souls  are  victors,  crowned 
Where  perfect  love  at  last  is  found. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


77 


Now  glorified  amid  the  host, 

Whose  names  in  honor  stand ; 

Phillips  and  Garnet,  Garrison, 

And  all  that  noble  band— 

Lincoln  and  Sumner — heroes  brave, 

Who  sought  to  free  and  help  the  slave. 

Yes,  there  within  the  pearly  gates, 

They  wait  for  you  and  me ; 

Those  men  who  planned  that  from  the 
curse, 

Our  people  might  be  free ; 

Rejoicing  in  the  broadening  day 
When  shadows  dark  should  flee  away. 

Our  hero  was  a patriot  true, 

A messenger  of  truth ; 

Whose  words  of  faith  and  hope  rang  out? 

Inspiring  age  and  you, tin 
His  life  will  inspiration  give— 

Through  coming  time  his  influence  live, 

Geo,  C.  Rowe, 


f AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

THE  CRUCIFIXION. 


With  scornful  kiss  was  He  betrayed^ 
Into  the  hands  of  men  ; 

Harmless  was  He,  yet  they  arrayed 
Themselves  unto  the  end. 

I saw  Him  questioned  in  a hall, 

His  answers  heard  with  scorns  ; 

They  robbed  Him  of  His  robe  and  all* 
And  crowned  His  head  with  thorns, 

I saw  Him  going  up  a hill, 

Bearing  a heavy  load ; 

He  fell,  yet  calm  and  patiently, 

He  climbed  the  painful  road. 

I saw  Him  hanging  on  a tree, 

All  washed  in  hallowed  blood ; 

JTwas  all  mine  eyes  could  bear  to  see-^ 
Oh,  precious  crimson  flood ! 

He  looked  with  sympathetic  eye 
Upon  a sinful  race; 

^Father,  forgive  ! they  know  not  why 
They  kill  niQ — show  them  grace  P 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

His  breath  is  faint,  His  pulses  few? 

His  side  is  red  with  blood ; 

He  bids  His  enemies  adieu, 

The  “finished”  work  is  good. 

The  earth  did  shake,  the  temple  rent, 
And  even  the  dead  were  moved ; 

And  now  His  murderers  repent 
The  death  of  one  beloved. 

The  debt  is  paid,  the  nation’s  free, 

All  men  may  happy  be; 

The  lame  do  walk,  the  blind  can  see ; 

0 “tinners,  turn,”  said  He. 

Jesse  E.  Beard; 

BEARING  HOME. 

A pleasant  sail  across  the  sea, 

1 now  approach  the  shore ; 

A j oyfui  welcome  awaiteth  me 

From  those  who  sailed  before. 

The  dim,  dark  vista  of  the  hills, 

The  white  sails  here  and  there; 

With  solid  joy  my  poor  heart  thrills, 
As  Lome  appears  so  near. 


80  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

And  yet  a sense  of  danger  steals 
Upon  my  beating  Heart, 

As  more  and  more  mine  eye  reveals 
THe  wastes  which  yet  us  part. 

Be  watchful  captain,  on  the  bridge, 
And  pilot  at  the  wheel, 

With  joy  I’ll  end  my  pilgrimage — 

A joy  e’en  now  I feel. 

Benj.  Tucker  Tanner. 


WOMAN’S  CULTURE. 


Extract  from  a paper  read  by  Mrs.  B.  Stevens  Lynk » 
at  the  Commencement  Exercises  of 
Lane  College . 

The  opportunities  offered  woman  for 
the  cultivation  of  her  moral  and  religious 
nature  are  indeed  favorable.  If  her  in- 
tellectual opportunities  are  not  so  good 
her  moral  and  religious  opportunities  are 
better.  The  world  does  not  bear  with 
such  a burden  on  her  mind.  All  the 
virtue  in  woman’s  heart  has  its  influence 
•n  the  world.  Somebody  is  touched  by 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


81 


its  sunshine  and  every  prayer  she  breathes 
though  uttered  in  the  humblest  way  is 
answered  to  some  degree  in  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  those  she  loves.  When  we 
look  rightly  upon  it  we  are  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  v/e  cannot  overestimate 
the  power  of  woman’s  moral  and  relig- 
ious character;  for  without  woman,  man 
wou;d  indeed  be  a prodigal,  after  having 
so  man}?’  sermons  preached  in  his  hear- 
ing,  with  the  many  other  good  things 
that  surround  his  pathway  he  would  be 
as  naught  without  the  tender  restraint  of 
woman’s  virtue  consecrated  by  religion. 
She  makes  the  first  impressions  on  our 
young  minds,  she  plants  the  first  seed  in 
our  hearts  that  they  may  spring  up  for 
good.  With  all  of  this  she  does  not  do 
enough  ; her  power  has  not  yet  reached 
its  need.  Think  of  the  wickedness  in 
the  world,  the  thousands  that  go  down  to 
disgrace,  yea,  the  thousands  of  men  who 
fill  drunkards  graves,  we  say  there  is 
much  need  of  more  vigor  in  the  virtue  of 


82  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

women.  Who  will  heed  the  cry  for  more 
religion  to  drive  out  immorality,  if  woman 
does  not.  To  prepare  themselves  for  this 
great  task,  they  should  lay  well  their 
foundation  of  religion  and  baptize  their 
souls  in  the  water  of  truth  and  right. 
The  first  requisite  to  moral  character  is 
purity.  “ A pure  heart  is  the  fountain  of 
life.  The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God.” 
Every  true  young  -woman  should  be  in 
heart  what  she  seems  to  be  in  life,  by  let 
tirg  her  every  thought  and  motives  be  as 
pure  as  the  dews  of  heaven.  It  matters 
not  what  may  be  our  mental  attainments 
or  social  qualities  in  life,  without  purity 
we  are  nothing,  only  tinkling  cymbals. 
There  can  be  no  virtue,  no  spiritual  life, 
no  glory  of  soul,  nor  dignity  of  character 
without  purity.  The  next  requisite  is 
benevolence,  and  a woman  without  benevo 
lenceisnota  woman;  she  is  only  a de 
formed  piece  of  cla}^  One  of  the  most 
cold,  ungodlike  things  that  can  exist  ii> 
the  human  breast  is  a heart  without 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  83 

benevolence.  One  thing  we  should  al- 
ways regard  as  benevolence,  is,  that  the 
poor  and  needy  may  have  a large  place  in 
our  hearts  ; the  sick  and  suffering  should 
have  our  sympathy.  When  we  would 
appear  in  our  loveliest  aspect  ye  have 
only  to  appear  as  a follower  of  Him  who 
went  about  doing  good.  The  next  re- 
quisite is  duty.  Two  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful things  in  the  universe  are  the  starry 
heavens  above  our  heads  and  the  senti- 
ment of  duty  in  the  human  soul.  There 
are  few  things  pleasanter  to  the  high- 
minded  man  than  a woman  who  lives, 
acis  and  exerts  her  power  from  a stand 
point  of  duty.  The  woman  with  a high 
sense  of  duty  will  always  secure  confidence 
with  respect  and  influence  she  will  leave 
lasting  impressions  on  the  minds  of  those 
around.  The  last  requisite  is  piety. 
This  we  may  regard  as  the  crown  of  all 
virtues.  Of  all  influences  wrought  in 
the  human  soul  the  work  of  piety  is  most 
divine-  Piety  may  also  be  styled  as  the 


84  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

spiritual  crown  men  put  on  when  they 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  It  is  the 
voice  of  God  speaking  in  the  human  soul. 
There  can  be  no  character  complete  un- 
less elevated  by  genuine  piety,  no  life  is 
all  it  should  be  except  every  motive  is 
bathed  in  the  water  of  piety.  Without 
all  of  these,  woman  is  destitute  of  the 
highest  beauty  and  divinest  charm  neces- 
sary to  make  her  a complete  woman. 
With  these  elements  combined,  purity, 
benevolence,  duty  and  piety,  I wish  to 
impress  as  conferring  mental  perfection 
of  character,  the  greatest  perfection  we 
can  attain.  Then  let  us  think  on  this 
all  important  subject  and  let,  “ what  con- 
science dictates  to  be  done,  or  teaches  not 
to  do,  which  teaches  more  than  hell  to 
shun,  and  more  than  heaven  pursue.” 


i 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE}.  85 

QEORQE  WASHINGTON— AN  EULOGY. 


Celestial  choir!  enthroned  in  realms  of 
light, 

Columbia’s  scenes  of  glorious  tales  I 
write, 

While  freedom’s  cause  her  anxious  breast 
alarms, 

She  flashes  dreadful  in  refulgent  arms. 

See  mother  Earth  her  offspring’s  fate  be- 
moan, 

And  nations  gaze  at  scenes  before  un- 
known ; 

See  the  bright  beams  of  heaven’s  revolv- 
ing light 

Involved  in  sorrows  and  in  veil  of  night ; 

The  goddess  comes,  she  moves  divinely 
fair, 

Olive  and  laurel  bind  her  golden  hair; 

Wherever  shines  this  native  of  the  skies, 

Unnumbered  charms  and  recent  graces 
rise. 

Muse ! Bow  propitious  while  my  pen  re- 
lates 


96  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

How  pour  Her  armies  through  a thousand 
gates ; 

As  when  Eolus  heaven’s  fair  face  deforms, 

Enwrapt  in  tempest  and  a night  of  storms  ; 

Astonished  ocean  feels  the  wild  uproar, 

The  refluent  serges  beat  the  resounding 
shore ; 

Or  thick  as  leaves  in  Autumn’s  golden 
reign, 

Such,  and  so  many  moves  the  warrior’s 
train. 

In  bright  array  they  seek  the  work  of  war, 

Where  high  unfurled,  the  ensign  waves 
in  air. 

Shall  I to  Washington  their  praise  recite  ? 

Enough,  thou  knowest  them  in  the  fields 
of  fight. 

The  first  in  place  and  honor  we  demand, 

The  grace  and  glory  of  thy  mortal  band, 

Famed  for  thy  valor,  for  thy  virtue  more, 

Hear  every  tongue  thy  guardian  aid  im- 
plore ; 

One  century  scarce  performed  its  destined 
round 


AND  QEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


87. 


When  Gallic  powers  Columbia’s  fury 
found ; 

And,  so  may  you,  whoever  dares  disgrace 

The  land  of  freedom’s  heaven-defended 
race. 

Fixed  are  the  eyes  of  nations  on  the 
scale, 

For  in  their  hopes  Columbia's  arm  pre- 
vails. 

Anon,  Britannia  droops  the  pensive  head, 

While  round  increase  the  rising  hills  of 
dead. 

Ah  J cruel  blindness  to  Columbia’s  state. 

Lament  thy  thirst  of  boundless  power  too 
late. 

Proceed,  great  chief,  virtue  on  thy  side ; 

Thy  every  action  let  the  goddess  guide. 

A crown,  a mansion,  and  & throne  that 
shine, 

With  gold  unfading,  Washington,  be 
thine, 

Phillis  WHATLEY, 
Optqblr  26y  1775, 


m AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL#  SPEAKER 
INTEMPERANCE. 


There  is  a great  and  awful  foe, 

That  blights  the  human  racfe, 

It  plunges  men  in  deep  dispair, 

In  sorrow  and  disgrace. 

That  evil  is  intemperance — - 
The  moloch  of  to-day ; 

Upon  its  alters  of  distress, 

Millions  of  victims  lay-. 

Their  hopes  are  gone,  their  consciences 
Are  dulled  by  sin  and  vice  ; 

Satan  has  promised  “more  beyond,” 

And  virtue  is  the  price. 

Cannot  intemperance  be  o’erthrown  ? 
Must  it  forever  stand  ? 

Why  does  this  blasting,  withering  curse 
Extend  throughout  the  land  ? 

Let  us  do  all  within  our  power 
To  break  the  wine  cup’s  spell, 

And  try  to  keep  our  men  and  boys 
From  going  down  to  hell. 

Mamie  E.  Fox, 


AND  GEMS  OP  LITERATURE. 


8 ) 


DEATH  OF  REV.  GEO.  WHITFIELD. 


Thou,  moon  hast  seen  and  all  the  stars  of 
light, 

How  he  hast  wrestled  with  his  God  by 
night. 

He  prayed  that  grace  in  every  heart- 
might  dwell ; 

He  longed  to  see  America  excel  ; 

He  charged  its  youth  that  every  grace 
divine 

Should  with  full  lustre  in  their  conduct 
shine. 

That  Saviour  which  his  soul  at  first  re- 
ceived, 

The  greatest  gift  that  even  a God  can  give 

He  freely  offered  to  the  numerous  throng 

That  on  his  lips  with  listening  pleasure 
hung. 

“Take  him,  ye  wretched,  for  your  only 
good, 

Take  him,  ye  starving  sinners,  for  your 
food  ; 

Ye  thirsty  come  to  this  life  giving  stream. 


90  AFRO- AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Ye  preachers  take  him  for  your  joyful 
theme  ; 

Take  him,  my  dear  Americans”  he  said; 

uBe  your  complaints  on  this  kind  bosom 
laid  ; 

Take  him,  ye  Africans,  he  longs  for  you  ; 

Impartial  Saviour  is  this  title  due  ; 

Washed  in  the  fountains  of  redeeming 
blood, 

You  shall  be  sons  and  priests  to  God.” 

But  though,  arrested  by  the  hand  of 
death, 

Whitfield  no  more  exerts  his  laboring 
breath, 

Yet  let  ns  view  him  in  the  eternal  skies,' 

Let  every  heart  to  his  bright  vision  rise  ; 

While  the  tomb  safe  retains  it  sacred 
trust, 

Till  life  divine  reanimates  the  dust. 

Phillis  Wheatley. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


91 


WHAT  IS  A RAINBOW# 


What  is  a rainbow?  ’Tis  a blending 
Of  chromatic  rays  of  light, 

Sent  by  tiny  sparkling  raindrops, 

When  the  sun  is  shining  bright. 

. ’Tis  the  seven  tones  of  music 
Metamorphosed  for  the  eye, 

Sound  converted  into  color 
By  the  God  of  earth  and  sky. 

.’Tis  the  emblem  of  His  promise, 

’Tis  the  arch  of  heaven’s  gate, 

Where  the  angels  stand  and  beckon, 
Where  our  loved  ones  watch  and  wait. 

Mamie  E.  Fox. 


A FAIRER  HOPE,  A BRIGHTER  HORN. 


Written  in  answer  to  Mr.  Mauriee  Thompson'’ S 
“ Voodoo  Prophecy.” 

From  the  peaceful  of  a higher  life 
I heard  your  maddening  cry  of  strife ; 

It  quivered  with  anguish,  wrath  and  pain, 
Like  a demon  struggling  with  his  chain. 


92  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

A chain  of*evil,  heavy  and  strong, 

Rusted  with  ages  of  fearful  wrong, 
Kncrusted  with  blood  and  burning  tears, 
The  chain  I had  worn  and  dragged  for 

years. 

It  clasped  my  limbs,  but  it  bound  my 
heart, 

And  formed  of  your  life  a fearful  part ; 
You  sowed  the  wind,  but  could  not  control 
The  tempest  wild  of  a guilty  soul. 

You  saw  me  stand  with  my  broken  chain 
b urged  in  the  furnace  of  fiery  pain. 

You  saw  my  children  around  me  stand, 
Lovingly  clasping  my  unbound  hand. 

But  you  remembered  my  blood  and  tears 
'Mid  the  weary  wasting  flight  of  years, 
You  thought  of  the  rice  swamps,  lone  and 
dark. 

When  my  heart  in  hopeless  anguish  sank* 

You  thought  of  your  fields  with  harvest 
white, 

Where  I toiled  in  pain  from  morn  till 
night. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


93 


You.  thought  of  the  days  you  bought  and 
sold 

The  children  I loved,  for  paltry  gold. 

You  thought  of  our  shrieks  that  rent 
the  air, 

Our  moans  of  anguish  and  deep  despair ; 

With  chattering  teeth  and  paling  face, 

You  thought  of  your  nation’s  deep  dis- 
grace. 

You  wove  from  your  fears  a fearful  late 

To  spring  from  your  seeds  of  scorn  and 
hate, 

You  imagined  the  saddest,  wildest  thing, 

That  time,  with  revenges  fierce,  could 
bring. 

The  cry  you  thought  from  a Voodoo  breast 

Was  the  echo  of  your  souks  unrest ; 

When  thoughts  too  sad  for  fruitless  tears 

Loomed  like  the  ghosts  of  avenging  years. 

Oh,  prophet  of  evil,  could  not  your  voice, 

In  our  now  hopes  and  freedom  rejoice  ? 

’Mid  the  light  which  streams  around  our 
way 

Was  there  naught  to  see  but  an  ey'il  day  ? 


94  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOIy  SPEAKER 

Nothing  but  vengeance,  wrath  and  hate, 

And  the  serpent  coils  of  an  evil  *ate 

A fate  that  shall  crush  and  drag  you 
down, 

A doom  that  shall  press  like  an  iron 
crown, 

A fate  that  shall  crisp  and  curl  your  hair 
And  darken  your  faces,  now  so  fair, 

And  send  through  your  veius  like  a 
poisoned  flood 

The  hatred  stream  of  the  Negro's  blood, 

A fate  to  madden  the  heart  and  brain 
You've  peopled  with  phantoms  of  dread 
and  pain, 

And  fancies  wild  of  your  daughter's  shriek 
With  Congo  kisses  upon  her  cheek. 

Beyond  the  mist  of  your  gloomy  fears, 

I see  the  promise  of  brighter  years. 
Through  the  dark  I see  their  golden  hem 
And  my  heart  gives  out  its  glad  amen. 

The  banner  of  Christ  was  your  sacred 
trust, 

But  you  trailed  that  banner  in  the  dust. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


95 


And  mockingly  told  us  amid  our  pain 

The  hand  of  your  God  had  forged  our 
chain. 

We  stumbled  and  groped  through  the 
dreary  night, 

Till  our  fingers  touched  God’s  robe  of 
light; 

And  we  knew  He  heard,  from  His  lofty 
throne, 

Our  saddest  cries  and  faintest  groan. 

The  cross  you  have  covered  with  sin  and 
shame, 

We’ll  bear  aloft  in  Christ’s  holy  name. 

Oh,  never  again  may  its  folds  be  furled, 

While  sorrow  and  sin  enshroud  our  world  ! 

God,  to  whose  fingers  thrill  each  heart 
beat, 

Has  not  sent  us  to  walk  with  aimless  feet^ 

To  cower  and  crouch,  with  bated  breath 

From  margins  of  life  to  shores  of  death. 


% AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


Higher  and  better  than  hate  for  hate, 
Like  the  scorpion  fangs  that  desolate, 

Is  the  hope  of  a brighter,  fairer  morn 
And  a peace  and  a love  that  shall  yet  be 
born  ; 

When  the  Negro  shall  hold  an  honored 
place, 

The  friend  and  helper  of  every  race  * 

His  mission  to  build  and  not  destroy, 
And  gladden  the  world  with  love  and  joy. 

Mrs.  F.  E.  W.  Harper. 


THE  BLACK  SAMSON. 


There  is  a Samson  lying,  sleeping  in  the 
land, 

He  shall  soon  awake,  and  with  avenging 
hand, 

In  an  unlooked  for  hour, 

He  will  rise  in  mighty  power ; 

What  dastard  can  his  mighty  rage  with- 
stand ? 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  97 

E’er  since  the  chains  were  riven  at  a 
stroke, 

E’er  since  the  dawn  of  freedom’s  morn- 
ing broke, 

He  has  groaned  but  scarcely  uttered ; 

While  his  patient  tongue  ne’er  muttered, 

Though  in  agony  he  bore  the  galling 
yoke. 

O,  what  cruelty  and  torture  has  he  felt  ? 

Could  his  tears,  the  heart  of  his  oppres- 
sors melt  ? 

in  his  gore  they  bathed  their  hands, 

Organized  and  lawless  bands — 

And  the  innocent  was  left  in  blood  to 

melt. 

The  mighty  God  of  nations  doth  not  sleep, 

His  piercing  eye  its  faithful  watch  doth 
keep, 

And  well  nigh  His  mercy’s  spent, 

To  the  ungodly  lent : 

“They  have  sowed  the  wind,  the  whirl- 
wind they  shall  reap.” 


98  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

From  his  nostrils  issues  now  the  angry 
smoke, 

And  asunder  burst  the  all-oppressive 
yoke: 

When  the  prejudicial  heel 

Shall  be  lifted,  we  shall  feel, 

That  the  hellish  spell  surrounding  us  is 
broke. 

The  mills  are  grinding  slowly,  slowly  on, 

And  till  the  very  chaff  itself  is  gone; 

Our  cries  for  justice  louder, 

’Till  oppression’s  ground  to  powder — 

God  speed  the  day  of  retribution  on  ! 

Fair  Columbia’s  filthy  garments  are  all 
stained  ; 

In  her  courts  -is  blinded  justice  rudely 
chained  ; 

The  black  Samson  is  awaking, 

And  the  fetters  fiercely  breaking  ; 

By  his  mighty  arm  his  rights  shall  be 
obtained. 

Mrs.  Josie  D.  H.  Heard. 


AND  GEMS  OP  EITERATURE. 


99 


THEY  ARE  COHINQ. 


They  are  coming,  coming  slowly — 

They  are  coming,  surely,  surely — 

In  each  avenue  you  hear  the  steady  tread. 
From  the  depth  of  foul  oppression, 

Come  a swathy-hued  procession, 

And  victory  perches  on  their  banner’s 
head. 

They  are  coming,  coming  slowly — 

They  are  coming ; yes,  the  lowly, 

No  longer  writhing  in  their  servile  bands. 
From  the  rice  fields  and  plantation, 
Comes  a factor  of  the  nation, 

And  threatening,  like  Banquo’s  ghost,  it 
stands. 

They  are  coming,  coming  proudly — 
They  are  crying,  crying  loudly  : 

O,  for  justice  from  the  rulers  of  the  land  ! 
And  that  justice  will  be  given, 

For  the  mighty  God  of  Heaven 
Holds  the  balances  of  power  in  his  hand. 


100  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Prayers  have  risen,  risen,  risen, 

From  the  cotton  fields  and  prison  ; 
Though  the  overseer  stand  with  lash  in 
hand, 

Groaned  the  overburdened  heart ; 

Not  a tear-drop  dared  to  start — 

But  the  slaves’  petition  reached  the  glory- 
land. 

They  are  coming,  they  are  coming, 

From  away  in  tangled  swamp, 

Where  the  slimy  reptile  hid  its  poisonous 
head  ; 

Through  the  long  night  and  the  day 
They  have  heard  the  bloodhound’s  bey, 
While  the  morass  furnished  them  an 
humble  bed. 

The  are  coming,  rising,  rising, 

And  their  progress  is  surprising, 

By  their  brawny  muscles  earning  their 
daily  bread  ; 

Though  their  wages  be  a pittance, 

Still  each  week  a small  remittance, 

Bunds  a shelter  for  the  weary,  toiling 

head.  A. 


AND  GEMS  OP  LITERATURE. 


101 


They  are  coming,  they  are  coming, 

Listen  ! You  will  hear  the  humming 
Of  the  thousands  that  are  falling  into 
line : 

There  are  doctors,  lawyers,  preachers ; 
There  are  sculptors,  poets,  teachers — 
Men  and  women,  who  with  honor  yet 
shall  shine. 

i 

They  are  coming,  coming  boldly, 

Though  the  nation  greets  them  coldly  ; 
They  are  coming  from  the  hillside  and 
the  plain. 

With  their  scars  they  tell  the  story 
Of  the  canebrakes  met  and  gory, 

Where  these  brothers’  bones  lie  bleaching 
w7ith  the  slain. 

They  are  coming,  coming,  singing, 

Their  thanksgiving  hymn  is  ringing, 

For  the  clouds  are  slowly  breaking  now 
away, 

And  there  comes  a brighter  dawning — - 
It  is  liberty’s  fair  morning, 

They  are  coming  surely,  coming,  clear 
the  way. 


M)2  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL/  SPEAKER 

Yes,  they  came,  their  stepping’s  steady, 
And  their  power  is  felt  already 
God  has  heard  the  lowly  cry  of  the  op- 
pressed ; 

And  beneath  his  mighty  frown, 

Every  wrong  shall  crumble  down, 

When  the  right  shall  triumph  and  the 
world  be  blest. 

Mrs.  Josie  D:  H.  Heard. 


THE  NEGRO’S  PLACE  IN  HISTORY. 


Extract  from  the  address  delivered  by  Rev  J W E 

Bowen,  D.  D.,  J%.  D.,  on  Negro  Day , 
at  the  Atj.rj,nta  Exposition . 

With  regard  to  the  Negro’s  place  in 
American  life,  it  was  formerly  stated  that 
he  was  fit  only  for  servitude;  that  the 
best  part  of  him  was  his  faithful  muscle ; 
that  even  to-day  and  forevermore  he  must 
remain  a serf  or  a hewer  of  wood  and  a 
drawer  of  water  to  the  vast  revolving 
machinery  of  civilization ; he  must  be 
the  ignorant  workman  and  the  unassimi- 


AND  GEMS  OF  UTERATURE.  103 

lated  pariah  of  American  society.  X It  is 
to  his  credit  that  in  his  early  daysme  had 
brawn ; that  it  drove  the  ax  that  rang 
through  the  forest  of  the  Old  Dominion 
and  the  plow  that  upturned  the  sod  of 
Louisiana  and  Mississippi  for  the  cane 
and  cotton,  while  his  voice  endowed  their 
leaves  with  a tongue  never  before  heard. 
With  his  powerful  right,  he  scattered  the 
Silver  grain  in  the  Carolinas,  and  the 
golden  grain  in  Maryland  and  Georgia 
and  disemboweled  the  mountains  of  Ten- 
nessee of  their  ancient  black  treasury* 
and  from  his  earliest  days  in  this  country 
unto  a very  recent  day,  his  sweat  was  al- 
most the  only  oil  for  the  machinery  of 
Southern  industry  and  his  arm  the  driving 
wheel  of  its  trade.  ^-And  when  we  shall 
be  removed  from  the  struggles  of  recent 
times  in  the  social  and  political  world,  to 
the  centuries  beyond,  in  which  the  preju- 
dices engendered  in  the  participants  of 
the  strife  shall  be  known  only  through 
the  cold  type  of  history,  then  under  the 


104  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

an  blurred  eye  and  the  cold  and  unsympa- 
thetic logic  of  the  patient  historian,  the 
period  ot  the  servitude  of  the  Negro  will 
shine  forth  with  a luster  unapproachable 
in  American  history. 

When  it  is  asserted  that  he  must  be  a 
worker,  all  sensible  Negroes  answer  yea 
and  amen.  A worker  in  clay,  wrenching 
from  nature  her  hidden  stores  ; a worker 
in  wood,  iron,  brass,  steel  and  glass,  turn- 
ing the  world  into  an  habitation  fit  for  the 
gods ; a worker  in  the  subtle  elements  of 
nature,  in  obedience  to  the  original  com- 
mand to  subdue  and  conquer  it ; a worker 
in  the  realm  of  mind  contributing  to  the 
thought  products  of  mankind,  thereby 
vindicating  for  himself  a birthright  to 
the  citizenship  of  the  republic  of  thought  ; 
a statesman  in  church  and  in  state ; a 
publicist  and  a political  economist;  in 
short,  he  must  be  a man  among  men,  not 
so  much  a Black  man,  but  a MAN,  though 
black  And  for  the  attainment  of  all  the 
possibilities  of  his  rich,  unexplored  Afri- 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  105 

can  nature  of  docility  and  tractability  ; of 
enthusiasm  and  perserverance  with  his 
burning  African  fervor,  there  must  be 
measured  to  him  as  well  as  to  the  white 
man,  three  feet  to  make  a yard.  Such  an 
equality  of  opportunity  not  only  estab- 
lishes an  equality, of  responsibility,  but 
must  be  reached  before  human  society 
shall  prosper  under  the  normal  laws  of 
true  development.  The  Negro  does  not 
shrink,  nor  ask  to  be  exempted  from  the 
working  of  the  latter  half  of  this  state- 
ment, namely,  equality  of  responsibility  ; 
but  simply  prays  to  the  American  senti- 
ment, who  is  the  King,  for  equality  of 
opportunity  in  all  matters  that  effect  the 
welfare  of  the  state.  In  all  matters  re- 
lating to  the  security  of  the  homes  of  the 
people  and  the  institutions  of  the  republic, 
we  say  to  the  King  that  the  story  of  our 
past  fealty  is  the  best  answer  we  can  make 
touching  our  future  devotion  and  interest. 
It  is  on  record  for  us,  written  by  one  of 
the  greatest  of  democratic  presidents/' 


106  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

Andrew  Jackson,  that  we  may  be  actuated 
by  lofty  purposes  as  seen  in  the  noble  de- 
fense made  by  Negro  soldiers,  of  the  city 
of  New  Orleans  in  the  second  British  war. 
It  is  on  record  for  us  that  in  all  the  social 
upheavals  between  capital  and  labor,  the 
Negro  has  never  been  found  with  fire 
brand  in  hand.  We  point  with  pride  to 
our  loving  and  lucid  history  that  we  are 
humane  as  well  as  human. 

Before  asking  now  what  is  the  Negro’s 
place  in  American  civilization,  a larger 
question  comes  into  notice  that  affects  all 
men,  namely,  what  is  the  place  of  any 
branch  or  family  of  the  human  race  in 
the  sum  total  of  humanity?  The  man 
who  attempts  to  answer  this  question  will 
risk  his  wit.  The  Negro’s  place  will  be 
what  he  makes  for  himself,  just  as  the 
place  of  every  people  is  what  that  people 
makes  for  itself,  and  he  will  be  no  excep- 
tion to  the  rule.  The  method  whereby 
he  shall  make  that  place  is  under  con- 
sideration. One  class  contends  that  he 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  IQ7 

must  make  it  by  staying  in  the  three 
“R’s”  and  they  are  specially  at  pains  in 
ridiculing  the  higher  education  of  the 
Negro’s,  even  for  leaders  in  church  or 
state.  Yea,  he  must  learn  the  three 
“R’s he  must  master  the  king’s  Eng- 
lish and  then  he  must  plume  his  pinions 
of  thought  for  a flight  with  Copernicus, 
Keppler  and  Herschel ; he  must  sharpen 
his  logic  for  a walk  with  Plato,  Emanuel 
Kant  and  Herbert  Spencer ; he  must 
clarify  his  vision  for  investigations  with 
Virchow,  Huxley  and  Gray  ; he  must  be 
able  to  deal  in  the  abtruse  questions  of 
law  as  do  Gladstone,  Judge  Story  and 
Judge  Speer ; he  must  fortify  himself  to 
divide  rightly  the  Word  as  do  Cannon 
Farrar,  Bishop  Foster,  Bishop  Haygood, 
Dr.  John  Hall  and  Dr.  H.  L.  Wavland. 
In  short,  the  education  of  the  Negro 
must  be  on  par  with  the  education  of  the 
white  man.  It  must  begin  in  the  kinder- 
garten as  that  of  the  white  child  and  end 
in  cj-.e  university  as  that  of  the  white 


/08  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 


man.  Anything  short  of  this  thorough 
preparation  for  all  of  the  stages  of  life 
for  the  Negro  would  be  unfair  to  a large 
part  of  humanity.  We  ask  that  nothing 
be  done  that  would  spoil  his  nature  or 
masculate  his  personality,  but  let  every- 
thing be  done  that  would  fit  him  to  fill 
every  situation  in  life  that  man  may 'fill 
from  the  blacksniith  and  hod  carrier  to 
the  statesman  and  philosopher.  And  if 
such  preparation  require  a knowledge  of 
the  old  blue  black  spelling  book  or  of 
Aristotle’s  logic ; a knovv ledge  of  the 
plow  or  the  trip  hammer,  or  of  the  spade 
or  of  the  driving  wheel ; or  of  simple  ad- 
dition or  integral  calculus  ; or  the  first 
reader  or  Kant’s  “Critique,”  simple  jus- 
tice and  common  sense  require  that  he  be 
acquainted  with  whatever  shall  fit  him  to 
fill  his  station  in  life.  Does  this  mean 
that  the  Negro  be  turned  into  a white 
man  ? Is  he  to  be  so  educated  that  he 
will  cease  to  be  what  God  meant  that  he 
should  be  ? Nay  ! verily,  for  any  eduea- 


109 


AND  GEMS  OF  EITERATURE. 

tion  that  makes  a people  dissatisfied  with 
their  racial  personality  is  a farce  and  a 
reproach. 

THE  NEW  NEGRO. 


Extract  from  the  speech  delivered  by  Rev.  J.  IV.  E. 

Bowen , D.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  on  Negro  Day , at 
the  Atlanta  Exposition. 

These  simple  results  that  may  be  seen 
in  the  Negro  building  are  from  a people 
just  thirty  years  in  freedom.  They  repre- 
sent many  spheres  of  labor  and  enterprise 
and  show  what  may  be  accomplished  un- 
der a more  perfect  system  of  life  and 
labor.  They  show,  moreover,  that  the 
Negro  has  been  an  apt  and  faithful  student 
of  his  teachers  in  the  mechanism  of  his 
skill  as  well  as  in  the  intellectual  product 
of  his  brain.  Thirty  years  of  freedom  is 
scarcely  enough  to  take  the  first  steps  in 
the  arts  of  peace.  It  required  centuries 
for  the  Anglo-Saxons  to  reach  his  present 
commanding  position.  The  Negro’s  pres- 
ent days  of  infancy  and  of  small  begin- 


110  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

mings  are  no  criterion  to  measure  his 
future  by.  The  depths  from  which  he 
has  come  and  the  obstacles  surrounding 
him  must  be  remembered  when  express- 
ing judgment  of  him  ; and  when  super- 
ficial writers  on  the  other  side  of  the 
water,  as  well  as  on  this  side,  declare  that 
the  Negro  can  never  assimilate  a high 
civilization  nor  approach  the  present  at- 
tainments of  the  Anglo-Saxons,  they  dis- 
cover an  immaturity  of  thought  worthy 
t>f  the  schoolboy’s  effort.  This  proves 
that  the  social  problems  of  any  country 
are  to  be  learned  only  by  long  years  of 
contact  and  of  unprejudiced  study.  A 
railroad  observation  in  sociology  may 
make  fascinating  reading,  but  it  lacks  the 
elements  of  endurance  and  accuracy  and 
cannot  command  the  respectful  notice  of 
more  than  novelistic  readers  for  one  de- 
cade. To  understand  the  rapid  strides 
that  the  Negro  has  taken  one  must  know 
the  pit  from  which  he  was  digged,  and  the 
rock  from  which  he  was  hewn.  The  cold 


AND  GrEJMS  OF  LITERATURE.  Ill 

facts  of  his  present  standing  press  out  in 
bold  relief  with  the  distinctness  of  a 
mosaic  and  declare  that  there  is  a wealth 
unmeasured  in  that  hidden  mine.  The 
first  step  has  been  taken  and  if  the  South 
and  the  North  will  measure  to  him  an 
equality  of  opportunity  there  will  come 
as  the  result  splendid  achievements  for 
society.  He  longs  to  have  a full  chance ; 
he  longs  to  do  nobly. 

Finally,  oh  king ! a new  Negro  has 
come  upon  the  stage  of  action.  As  you 
enter  the  main  entrance  of  the  Negro 
building  you  will  observe  the  statue  of  a 
Negro  with  broken  manacles  upon  his 
wrists.  This  statue  was  born  in  the 
fruitful  brain  of  a Negro,  Mr.  Hill  of 
Washington.  His  frame  is  muscular  and 
powerful ; his  eye  is  fixed  upon  his  broken 
but  hanging  chain  ; his  brow  is  knit  in 
deep  thought.  This  is  the  new  Negro. 
What  is  he  doing  ? He  is  thinking  1 
And  by  the  power  of  thought  he  will 
think  off  those  chains  and  have  both 


112  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

hands  free  to  help  you  to  build  this 
country  and  make  a grand  destiny  of 
himself.  In  generous  affection  for  our 
native  soil,  in  fealty  to  our  institutions 
and  in  a universal  love  for  all  men,  his 
spirit  is  that  of  his  fathers  made  over. 
Being  to  the  manor  born,  he  cannot  be 
alienated  in  sentiment  and  patriotic  de- 
votion to  the  institutions  of  the  south 
and  the  whole  country.  It  must  be  re- 
membered however,  that  this  Negro  has 
born  in  him  the  consciousness  of  a 
racial  personality  under  the  blaze  of  a 
new  civilization.  With  this  new  birth  of 
the  soul,  he  longs  for  an  opportunity  to 
grow  into  the  proportions  of  a new  and 
diviner  manhood  that  shall  take  its  place 
in  the  ranks  of  one  common  humanity. 
This  Negro,  when  educated  in  all  the  dis- 
ciplines of  civilization  and  thoroughly- 
trained  in  the  arts  of  civil  and  moral  life, 
cannot  fail  to  be  an  invaluable  help  to 
our  American  life.  It  is  his  deepest  de- 
sire to  rise  and  work  manfully  and  he  m 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


113 


willing  to  bide  bis  time  until  tbe  Ameri- 
can white  man  shall  have  that  element 
conquered  in  him  which  always  conquers, 
namefy,  the  love  of  fair  play.  In  the 
classic  words  of  Edmund  Burke  before 
his  constituents,  in  Bristol,  England,  we 
pray  : “ Applaud  us  when  we  run ; con- 
sole us  when  we  fall ; cheer  us  when  we 
recover;  but  let  us  pass  on,  for  God’s 
sake,  let  us  pass  on.” 


THE  RIGHT  WILL  TRIUflPH. 


BY  MAMIE  EEOISE  FOX. 

The  right  will  triumph  bye  and  bye, 

It  cannot  be  suppressed ; 

Though  years  may  roll,  yet  right  itself 
Will  be  made  manifest. 

V 

So  unrelenting,  harsh,  severe, 

And  cruelly  strong, 

And  ever  conquering  the  right 
Seems  to  our  minds  the  wrong. 


114  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Seems  ! then  apparent  only  are 
The  conquests  wrong  achieves : 
Invincible  to  wrong  is  he 
Who  in  the  right  believes. 

Then  ever  stand  up  for  the  right, 

’Twill  triumph  bye  and  bye ; 

For  foes  will  yield,  and  wrong  must  fall; 
But  right  can  never  die. 


ADVICE  TO  BOTH  RACES, 

Extract  from  ait  address  delivered  by  Prof.  B.  T. 

Washington , at  the  opening  of  the  Atlanta 
Exposition , September  18,  1895. 

A ship  lost  at  sea  for  many  days* 
suddenly  sighted  a friendly  vessel.  From 
the  mast  of  the  unfortunate  vessel  was 
seen  a signal : uWater,  water ; we  die  of 
thirst!”  The  answer  from  the  friendly 
vessel  at  once  came  back : “Cast  down 
your  bucket  where  you  are.”  A second 
time  the  signal,  “Water,  water ; send  us 
water  !”  ran  up  from  the  distressed  vessel* 
and  was  answered  i “Cast  down  your 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


115 


bucket  where  you  are.”  And  a third  and 
fourth  signal  for  water  was  answered : 
“Cast  down  your  bucket  where  you  are.” 
The  captain  of  the  distressed  vessel,  at 
last  heeding  the  injunction,  cast  down  his 
bucket,  and  it  came  up  full  of  fresh, 
sparkling  water  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Amazon  river.  To  those  of  my  race  who 
depend  on  bettering  their  condition  in  a 
foreign  land,  or  who  underestimate  the 
importance  of  cultivating  friendly  rela- 
tions with  the  Southern  white  man,  who 
is  their  next  door  neighbor,  I would  say; 
“Cast  down  your  bucket  where  you  are” 
— cast  it  down  in  making  friends  in  every 
manly  way  of  the  people  of  all  races  by 
whom  we  are  surrounded. 

Cast  it  down  in  agriculture,  mechanics, 
in  commerce,  in  domestic  service  and  in 
the  professions.  And  in  this  connection, 
it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind,  that  whatever 
other  sins  the  South  may  be  called  to 
bear,  that  when  it  comes  to  business, 
pure  and  simple,  it  is  in  the  South  that 


116  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

the  Negro  is  given  a man’s  chance  in  the 
commercial  world,  and  in  nothing  is  this 
Exposition  more  eloquent  than  in  empha- 
sizing this  chance.  Our  greatest  danger 
is,  that  in  the  great  leap  from  slavery  to 
freedom,  we  may  overlook  the  fact  that 
the  masses  of  us  are  to  live  by  the  pro- 
ductions of  our  hands,  and  fail  to  keep  in 
mind  that  we  shall  prosper  in  proportion 
as  we  learn  to  dignify  and  glorify  common 
labor  and  put  brains  and  skill  into  the 
common  occupations  of  life ; shall  prosper 
in  proportion  as  we  learn  to  draw  the  line 
between  the  superficial  and  the  substan- 
tial, the  ornamental  gewgaws  of  life  and 
the  useful.  No  race  can  prosper  till  it 
learns  that  there  is  as  much  dignity  in 
tilling  a field  as  in  writing  a poem.  It  is 
at  the  bottom  of  life  we  must  begin,  and 
not  at  the  top.  Nor  should  we  permit  our 
grievances  to  overshadow  our  opportuni- 
ties. 

To  those  of  the  white  race  who  look  to 
the  incoming  of  those  of  foreign  birth 


AND  GUMS  OF  LITERATURE 


1:7 


and  strange  tongue  and  habits,  for  the 
prosperity  of  the  South,  were  I permitted 
I would  repeat  what  I say  to  my  own 
race — “cast  down  your  bucket  where  you 
are.”  Cast  it  down  among  the  8,000,000 
Negroes  whose  habits  you  know,  whose 
fidelity  and  love  you  have  tested  in  days 
when  to  have  proved  treacherous  meant 
the  ruin  of  your  firesides.  Cast  down 
your  bucket  among  these  people  who 
have,  without  strikes  and  labor  wars, 
tilled  your  fields,  cleared  your  forests, 
builded  your  railroads  and  cities,  and 
brought  forth  treasures  from  the  bowels 
of  the  earth  and  helped  make  possible 
this  magnificent  representation  of  the 
progress  of  the  South.  Casting  down 
your  bucket  among  my  people,  helping 
and  encouraging  them  as  you  are  doing 
on  these  grounds,  and  to  education  of 
head,  hand  and  heart,  you  will  find  that 
they  will  buy  your  surplus  land,  make 
blossom  the  waste  places  in  your  fields 
and  run  your  factories.  While  doing 


118  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

this,  you  can  be  sure  in  the  future,  as  in 
the  past,  that  you  and  your  families  will 
be  surrounded  by  the  most  patient,  faith- 
ful, law-abiding  and  unresentful  people 
that  the  world  has  seen.  As  we  have 
proved  our  loyalty  to  you  in  the  past,  in 
nursing  your  children,  watching  by  the 
sick  bed  of  your  mothers  and  fathers  and 
often  following  them  with  tear-dimmed 
eyes  to  their  graves,  so  in  the  future  in 
our  humble  way  we  shall  stand  by  you 
with  a devotion  that  no  foreigner  can  ap- 
proach, ready  to  lay  down  our  lives,  if 
need  be,  in  defense  of  yours,  interlacing 
your  industrial,  commercial,  civil  and  re- 
ligious life  with  yours  in  a way  that  shall 
make  the  interests  of  both  races  one.  In 
all  things  that  are  purely  social  we  can 
be  as  separate  as  the  fingers,  yet  one  as 
the  hand  in  all  things  essential  to  mutual 
progress. 

There  is  no  defense  or  security  for  any 
of  us  except  in  the  highest  intelligence 
and  development  of  all*  If  anywhere 


AND  GEMS  OF  DITERATURF.  119 

there  are  efforts  tending  to  curtail  the 
fullest  growth  of  the  Negro,  let  these 
efforts  be  turned  into  stimulating,  en- 
couraging and  making  him  the  most  use- 
ful and  intelligent  citizen.  Effort  or 
means  so  invested,  will  pay  a thousand 
per  cent,  interest.  These  efforts  will  be 
twice  blessed — “blessing  him  that  gives 
and  him  that  takes.” 

There  is  no  escape  through  law  of  man 
or  God,  from  the  inevitable: 

“The  laws  of  changeless  justice  bind, 
Oppressor  with  oppressed  ; 

And  close  as  sin  and  suffering  joined, 
We  march  to  fate  abreast/7 


HAITI. 


Extract  from  the  oration  of  Frederick  Douglass , 
delivered  on  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  of 
the  Haitian  Pavilion , at  the  Chicago 
World's  Fair,  January , /8gjr 

Considering  what  were  the  environ- 
ments of  Haiti  ninety  years  ago ; con- 
sidering the  antecedents  of  her  people/ 


120  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPRA^i:^ 

both  at  home  and  in  Africa;  considering 
their  ignorance,  their  weakness,  and  their 
want  of  military  training ; considering 
their  destitution  of  the  munitions  of  war, 
and  measuring  the  tremendous  moral  and 
material  forces  that  confronted  and  op- 
posed them,  the  achievement  of  their  in- 
dependence is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
and  one  of  the  most  wonderful  events  in 
the  history  of  this  eventful  century  ; and, 
I may  also  say,  in  the  history  of  man- 
kind. The  accomplishing  of  our  Ameri- 
can independence  was  a task  of  tremen- 
dous proportions.  In  the  contemplation 
of  it,  the  boldest  held  his  breath,  and 
many  brave  men  shrank  from  it — appalled. 
But  as  Herculean  as  was  that  task,  and 
dreadful  as  were  the  hardships  and  suffer- 
ings it  imposed,  its  terribleness  was  as 
nothing  when  compared  with  the  appall- 
ing nature  of  the  war  which  Haiti  dared 
to  wage  for  her  freedom  and  her  independ- 
ence. Her  success  was  a surprise  and 
a standing  astonishment  to  the  world. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


121 


Our  war  of  the  revolution  had  a thousand 
years  of  civilization  behind  it.  The  men 
who  led  it  were  descendents  of  statesmen 
and  heroes.  Their  ancestry  were  the 
men  who  had  defied  the  powers  of  royalty, 
and  had  wrested  from  an  armed  and 
reluctant  king,  the  grandest  declaration 
of  human  rights  ever  given  by  man  to 
the  world.  They  possessed  the  knowledge 
and  character  naturally  inherited  from 
long  years  of  personal  and  political  free- 
dom. They  belonged  to  the  ruling  race 
of  the  world,  and  the  sympathy  of  the 
world  was  with  them.  But  far  different 
was  it  with  the  men  of  Haiti.  The  world 
was  all  against  them.  They  were  slaves, 
accustomed  to  stand  and  tremble  in  the 
presence  of  haughty  masters.  Obedience 
to  the  will  of  others  was  their  education, 
and  their  religion  was  patience  and  resig- 
nation to  the  rule  of  pride  and  cruelty. 
As  a race,  they  stood  before  the  world  as 
the  most  abject,  helpless  and  degraded  of 
mankind.  Yet,  from  these  men  of  the 


122  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

Negro  race  came  brave  men  ; men  who 
loved  liberty  more  than  life;  wise  men, 
statesmen,  warriors  and  heroes ; men 
whose  deeds  stamp  them  as  worthy  to  rank 
with  the  greatest  and  noblest  of  mankind  ; 
men  who  gained  their  freedom  and  inde- 
pendence against  odds  as  formidable  as 
ever  confronted  a righteous  cause  or  its 
advocates.  Aye,  and  they  not  only  gained 
their  liberty  and  independence,  but  they 
have  never  surrendered  what  they  gained 
to  any  power  on  earth.  This  precious  in- 
leritance  they  hold  to-day,  and  I venture 
to  assert  here,  in  the  ear  of  all  the  world, 
that  they  never  will  surrender  that  in- 
heritance. 

TODAY. 


BY  JOSEPHINE  SIEOME  YATESv 

To-day,  the  princely  child  of  yesterday, 
Emerges  from  the  parent’s  regal  brow9 
For  action  fully  armed,  in  rich  array, 
Like  Pallas  from  the  head  of  Zeus  great. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE  123 

Apollo  bows  before  bis  royal  face, 

And  floods  of  light  dispersed  o’er  bill 
and  vale. 

Tbe  land  is  batbed  in  majesty  and  grace 
By  bim  wbo  sits  enthroned  by  right 
divine. 

How  beautiful,  in  light  and  joyous  mood, 
Art  thou,  O day  I but  when  thy  god- 
like breast 

Is  stirred  by  passion’s  dire  and  angry 
brood, 

Then  terrible  art  thou  with  wrath  divine. 

And  yet  to  make  a year  and  sphere  repay, 
The  seer  says  all  sorts  of  days  it  takes. 

Let  us,  therefore,  rejoice  in  light  to-day, 
Or,  light  denied,  rejoice  in  life  itself. 

For  while  we  idly  weep,  or  wish,  or  wait, 
The  day  declines  ; across  the  massive 
brow 

A pallid  shadow  steals  ; we  are  too  late  ! 
Behold  the  dying  day  is  father  of  to- 


morrow. 


124  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


NEGRO  PROBLEM  DISSECTED. 


BY  HON.  JOHN  M.  LANGSTON. 

“We  are  everywhere.  The  negro  is 
the  only  man  who  proves  an  exception  to 
the  rule,  ‘a  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss.7 
He  rolls  and  gathers  moss  at  the  same 
time.  We  are  getting  better  looking,  too. 
Our  faces  are  getting  whiter,  or  are  more 
beautiful  for  their  shiney  velvety  com- 
plexion. 

“You  can’t  look  any  way  in  Georgia 
that  you  can’t  see  the  old  Georgia  Negro. 
He  is  there.  What’s  he  doing  ? Every- 
thing. He  is  lawyer,  doctor,  legislator 
and  farmer.  Down  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  the 
whites  are  holding  a convention,  dis- 
cussing the  question  of  immigration.  A 
United  States  senator  the  other  day, 
speaking  before  that  body,  held  up  a very 
bright  picture  of  the  colored  man’s  future 
in  the  South.  Italian,  Hungarian  or 
Russian  immigrants  were  not  needed  in 
this  land,  he  asserted,.  This  man  is  a great 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


125 


Southerner,  too,  and  yet  there  are  some 
colored  people  who  think  it  an  impossi- 
bility for  a Southern  white  man  to  say 
anything  good  of  the  Negro.  But  this 
man — a giant  among  men,  too— made 
some  of  those  ‘impossible’  remarks,  and 
the  Negroes  were  going  to  stand  by  the 
Southeners  for  it.  (Applause,)  Our 
destiny  is  linked  strongly  together,  our 
interests  are  inseparable  and  bid  defiance 
to  petty  prejudices  to  render  them  asun- 
der. The  day  will  come,  and  it  is  nearly 
here,  when  the  whites  and  blacks  of  the 
South  would  be  equal.  (Applause;)  I 
mean  by  this  a legal  equality.  (Applause.) 
There  is  no  color  distinction  in  our  laws, 
no  color  line  drawn  in  our  constitution. 
The  path  of  the  Negro  is  onward  and  up- 
ward, and  he  will  never  submit  to  go 
back.  (Applause.)  The  great  staples  of 
the  country  are  grown  by  the  Negro, 
coffee,  tobacco,  sugar  and  cotton.  He 
has  gradually  glided  into  all  the  avoca- 
tions of  life,  and  be  will  be  the  last  to 


126  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

give  them  up.  The  Negro  never  expects 
to  rise  above  the  white  man.  He  will  be 
contented  with  equal  conditions  and  will 
have  them,  in  so  far  as  relates  to  his 
American  rights  under  the  laws.  This  is 
the  guarantee  of  every  good  white  man, 
“In  conclusion,  I ask  you  to  consider 
these  things.  Tell  your  sons  and  daugh- 
ters to  think  about  these  things  and  they 
will  come  to  know  themselves,  know  their 
people,  and  what  they  are  doing.  We 
are  here  and  we  are  going  to  stay  here, 
because  we  are  needed  and  essential  and 
we  shall  enjoy  all  those  privileges  which 
providence  intended  when  the  scales  were 
knocked  from  our  eyes  and  the  shackles 
from  our  limbs. n 

FREDERICK  DOUGLASS. 

BY  A.  M.  HODGES,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  FEB.  21,  ’95s 

Frederick  Douglass,  great  and  grand^ 

The  foremost  advocate  of  right ; 

The  noblest  Negro  in  the  land, 

A pioneer  in  freedom’s  fight. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


127 


One  of  the  few  who  dared  to  face 
The  bondage  fiend,  in  days  of  yore  ; 

Who  helped  blot  out  the  land’s  disgrace, 
Is  touched  by  death,  and  is  no  more. 

He  lived  his  fondest  dream  to  see, 

Before  his  useful  life  was  done, 

He  lived  to  see  his  people  free, 

And  bask  himself  in  freedom’s  sun. 

Great  are  the  men  who  great  things  do  ; 
For  deeds  he  did  for  race  and  state, 

Will  place  his  name  among  the  few, 

We  must  revere  as  truly  great. 

As  long  as  there  remains  a trace 
Of  Afric  blood  that  can  be  seen, 

So  long  will  members  of  his  race 

In  memory  keep  him  fresh  and  green. 

The  Negro  father  will  lake  pride 
To  sit  beside  his  family  fire. 

And  call  his  children  to  his  side, 

To  tell  them  of  this  noble  sire. 


128  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

His  deeds  will  bright  and  brighter  grow, 
A household  word  will  be  his  name  ; 

And  future  generations  know, 

The  story  of  Fred.  Douglass’  fame. 

Tears  of  copious  grief  we  shed 
Standing  by  our  hero’s  bier  ; 

Peace  to  the  ashes  of  the  dead, 

If  lost  to  sight,  remembrance’s  dear. 

Douglass ! with  the  noble  brave 
Of  abolitionistic  time — 

“Rest  thee,  there  is  no  prouder  grave, 
Even  in  thy  own  proud  clime.” 

SIGNS  OF  THE  TiriES. — A Thanksgiving 
Piece  for  a little  boy. 

BY  PAIJI.  DUNBAR. 

Air  a-gittin’  cool  an’  coolah, 

Frost  a-comin’  in  de  night. 

Hicka’  nuts  an’  wa’nuts  failin’, 

Possum  keepin’  out  of  sight. 

Tu’key  struttin’  in  de  ba’nyad — 

Nary  step  so  proud  ez  his. 

Keep  on  struttin’,  Mistah  Tu’key, 

Yo’  do’nt  know  whut  time  it  is.* 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


129 


Cidah  press  commence  a-squeakin’, 

Eatin’  apples  sto’ed  away, 

Chillin’  swa’min’  roun’  lak  ho’nets 
Huntin’  aigs  among  de  hay. 

Mistah  Tu’key  kep’  on  gobblin’ 

At  de  geese  a-flyin’  souf, 

Umph,  dat  bird  do’  know  whuts  cornin’, 
Ef  he  did  he’d  shet  his  mouf. 

Pumpkin  gittin’  good  an’  yallah, 

Make  me  open  up  my  eyes ; 

Seems  lak  its  a-lookiu’  at  me 
Jes’  a-layin’  dere  sayin’  “pies.” 

Turkey  gobbler  gwine  roun’  Mowin’, 
Gwine  roun’  gibbin’  his  sass  an’  slack  ! 
Keep  on  talkin’,  Mistah  Tu’key, 

You  ain’t  seed  no  almanac. 

Fa’mer  walkin’  throo  de  ba’nya’d, 

Seein’  how  things  is  cornin’  on, 

Sees  if  de  fowls  is  fatt’nin’ — 

Good  times  cornin’  sho’s  you  bo’n, 
Heah’s  dat  tu’key  gobbler  braggin’ 

Den  his  face  break  in  a smile — 
Nebbah  min’,  you  sassy  rascal, 
HeVgwine  to  nab  you  after  while. 


130  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


Choppin’  suet  in  de  kitchen, 

Stonin’  raisins  in  de  hall, 

Beef  a cookin’  fo’  de  mince  meat, 

Spices  graun’ — I smell  ’em  all. 

Look  heah,  tu’key,  stop  dat  gobblin’, 
You  ain’t  learned  de  sense  ob  Dah  ; 
You  ol’  fool,  yo’  naik’s  in  dangah, 

Do  you  know  Thanksgibbiii’s  heah  ? 


THE  ALARM  OF  A PENITENT. 


BY  EUGENIS  HARRIS. 

Loathsome  with  my  sin  am  I, 

Unfit  to  live,  afraid  to  die. 

Justice  hurls  athwart  my  path 
The  thunder-bolts  of  righteous  wrath. 
Whither  can  1,  may  I flee 
From  the  wrath  that  threatens  me? 
Where  in  the  universe  of  space, 

May  I find  a hiding-place  ? 

To  some  star  I’d  take  my  flight, — - 
But  the  stars  against  me  fight. 

If  upon  the  earth  I stay, 

The  rocks  and  hills  will  flee  away. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


131 


If  from  earth  to  sky  I pass, 

The  heavens  will  become  as  brass. 

If  from  sky  to  hell, — ’tis  said 
That  even  there  He  makes  His  bed. 

If  I seek  Egyptian  night, 

The  darkness  will  become  as  light. 

Y/hither  can  I,  may  I flee 

From  the  wrath  that  threatens  me  ? 

The  whole  creation  groans  in  pain, 

And  does  not  willingly  sustain 
A guilty  sinner,  such  as  I, 

Unfit  to  live,  afraid  to  die. 

The  sun-light,  teeming  full  of  life, 

Is  for  me  with  poison  rife. 

The  bridge,  the  righteous  safely  pass, 

Is  ’neath  my  feet  as  brittle  glass. 

The  cord  to  which  they  safely  cling 
Is  to  me  a rotten  thing. 

The  iron  chains  to  which  they  trust 
Turn  in  my  hands  to  links  of  dust. 

The  rock  on  which  they  firmly  stand 
Sinks  ’neath  my  feet  like  treacherous  sand. 
Where’er  I turn  no  matter  where, 

To  land  or  sea  or  sky  or  air, 


•132  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOR  SPEAKER 

All  things  detest  me  as  the  curse, 
The  outlaw  of  the  universe. 

Whither  can  I,  may  I flee 

From  the  wrath  that  threatens  me? 


TIME  AND  THINGS  HAVE  CHANGED. 

BY  MRS.  JQSIE  HEARD. 

The  times  are  very  different  now 
From  what  they  used  to  be, 

When  I was  but  a little  child 
Upon  my  mother’s  knee. 
Abandoned  are  the  good  old  hymns 
At  church  we  used  to  sing, 

And  operatic  airs  are  now 
Considered  quite  the  thing. 

You  hear  no  more  of  Afton  sweet, 
Nor  Siloam’s  shady  rill  ; 

’Tis  dementi  or  Chopin  now, 

The  sacred  arches  fill. 

We’ve  lost  the  substance  of  our  songs 
And  to  the  shadow  cling, 

The  god  of  gold  we  worship 
When  we  make  our  offering. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


133 


We  used  to  go  to  church  to  get 
Our  stock  of  faith  renewed, 

And  hungry  hearts  were  feasted  there, 
On  spiritual  food, 

But  many  of  the  preachers  now, 

Are  filled  so  full  of  self, 

There  is  no  room  for  Jesus, 

Nor  for  anybody  else. 

Our  pulpits  used  to  be  adorned 
By  men  of  unction  full, 

But  now  they’re  filled  by  men 

Who  with  the  Bishop’s  got  a pull. 
And  preachers  are  the  leaders  now 
Of  local  politics  ; 

They  wear  no  more  the  saintly  brow, 
But  play  all  sorts  of  tricks. 

Of  modern  times  our  language  too, 
Has  greatly  been  abused  ; 

I pray  I may  be  pardoned 

For  some  terms  I’m  forced  to  use, 
For  fads  and  slang  are  popular, 

And  to  be  “up  to  date,” 

The  language  has  been  modernized 
To  suit  our  rapid  gate. 


J34  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 


When  I was  young,  another  thing, 

I’m  sure  they  never  did, 

In  speaking  of  a little  child 
Call  it  “a  little  kid.” 

When  men  committed  theft  they  got 
The  natural  name  of  rogue, 

But  now,  “they’ve  made  a slight  mistake, 
Insanity  is  vogue. 

When  once  a year  we  got  a frock, 

We  made  it  plain  always  ; 

Our  waists  would  not  give  you  a shock  ; 

We  were  no  slaves  to  stays. 

A man  wore  shirt  and  coat  and  hat, 

And  homespun  pantaloons, 

But  women  now  wear  all  of  these 
And  sleeves  made  like  balloons. 

A rogue  was  not  a gentleman, 

If  he  were  high' or  low. 

And  robbed  a bank  or  hencoop, 

He  to  prision  sure  would  go. 

But  now  a man  who  pilfers  bread, 

Is  almost  sure  to  swing, 

Or  serve  ? lifetime  pennance, 

For  he  aras  not  in  “the  ring.” 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


135 


The  Bible  even  has  been  changed, 

To  suit  this  rapid  age. 

Once  we  believed  whatever  we  read 
On  every  blessed  page. 

If  one  committed  suicide, 

’Twas  said  he  went  below. 

But  now  the  preacher  shakes  his  head 
And  says  he  doesn’t  know. 

It  once  wa$  thought  a camel 

Through  a needle’s  eye  could  go, 

• As  easy  as  a man  to  heaven, 

Who  hoarded  wealth  below. 

But  now  the  richest  man  can  get 
A seat  in  Paradise, 

The  nearest  next  the  throne  if  he 
But  chose  to  pay  the  price. 

And  great  men  once  were  reckoned 
By  upright  and  moral  lives, 

But  he  is  greatest  now  who  boasts, 
His  own,  and  neighbor’s  wives. 
Young  ladies  were  the  modest  girls, 
Both  gentle  and  demure, 

When  crowned  with  queenly  virtue, 
And  no  other  Jewel  wore. 


136  AFRO-AMERI  AX  SCHOOL  SPRAKRR 

Our  national  and  other  laws 
Are  made  oil  rubber  lines  ; 

They  stretch  or  contract  easily 
To  suit  them  to  the  times. 

The  city  government  is  changed, 

’Tis  managed  now  by  bauds 

That  squander  recklessly  the  means 
Entrusted  to  their  hands. 

A tax  is  placed  on  everything, 

No  matter  great  or  small, 

The  question  next  I guess  they’ll  spring, 
If  we  shall  live  at  all  (?). 

One  almost  wearies  of  one’s  life, 

Such  wickedness  to  see. 

So  much  of  bitterness  and  strife, 

There  never  used  to  be. 

A hundred  other  little  things, 

Of  which  I might  take  note, 

I must  omit,  but  must  remark 
That  women  now  can  vote. 

So  in  depair,  I sadly  bow, 

But  you’ll  agree  with  me, 

That  things  decidedly  have  changed 
From  what  they  used  to  be. 


AND  GE}MS  OF  IJTERATUR]^. 

the  pastor. 

Dedicated  to  Rev . G.  M.  TUI, nan. 

BY  KATHERINE  D.  TRUMAN. 

. In  a lonely  little  parish 

For  a year,  a man  of  God, 
Taught  in  love  the  common  people 
Of  the  pathway  Christ;  has  trod. 
Told  to  them  the  old,  old  story 
Of  the  wondrous  one  who  gave 
His  own  life  on  Calvary’s  summit, 
Tost  and  ruined  souls  to  save. 

Sometimes  it  was  told  in  gladness, 
Oftener  when  filled  with  pain 
That  they  followed  not  the  Savior, 
Though  besought  o’er  and  again. 

. Oft  he  deemed  his  labor  wasted, 
Many  times  discouraged  grew, 
But  withal  he  had  resolved  that* 

He  would  to  the  cross  be  true. 

But  no  life  that’s  truly  given 
To  the  service  of  the  Lord, 

E’er  is  lost  but  in  the  seeming, 

So  declares  His  precious  word. 


US  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Time  removed  tlie  patient  preacher 
To  another  little  place,  t i ' - 

And  again  he  taught  the  people 
Of  the  pleasant  waps  of-  grace. 

Words  that  months  ago  he’d  spoken 
One  day  quickened  into  life, 

And  a soul  com tkhned  with  Jesus 
That  before  had  known  but  strife. 

Many  more  were  led  to  Jesus, 

Through  the  zealous  loving  one 
And  when  life’s  conquests  are  over, 

And  the  victory  is  won. 

Humble  worker  hear  thy  sentence 
Rejoice  e’er,  thou  weary  one, 

Hear  thy  sovereign’s  gracious  welcome, 
“Good  and  faithful  soul,' well  done.” 


THE  NIGHT  OF  DEATH. 

• r;v  1 

BY  FRANCIS  E.  W.  HARPER. 

#,Twas  a night  of  dreadful  horror,  '' 

Death  was  sweeping  through  the  land, 
Mud  the  wings  of  dark  destruction 

Were  outstretched  from  strand  to  strand. 


139 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

Strong  men’s  hearts  grew  faint  with 
terror, 

As  the  tempest  and  the  waves, 

Washed  their  homes  and  swept  them 
downward, 

Suddenly  to  pawning  graves. 

’Mid  the  wreck  of  ruined  households, 
And  the  tempest’s  wild  alarms, 

Sto 'd  a terror-stricken  mother 
With  a child  within  her  arms. 

Other  children  huddled  ’round  her, 

E ich  one  nestling  in  her  heart, 

Swift  in  thought  and  swift  in  action, 

She  at  least  from  one  must  part. 

Then  she  said  unto  her  daughter, 

“Strive  to  save  one  child  from  death.” 
“Which  one?”  said  the  anxious  daughter, 
As  she  stood  with  bated  breath. 

Oh  the  anguish  of  that  mother ; 

What  despair  was  in  her  eye, 

A-l  her  little  ones  were  precious, 

Which  one  should  she  leave  to  die  ? 


HO  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


Then  outspake  the  brother  Bennie  : 

<4I  will  take  the  little  one.” 

‘‘No,”  exclaimed  the  anxious  mother  ; 
“No,  my  child,  it  can’t  be  done.” 

“See ! my  boy,  the  waves  are  rising, 
Save  yourself  and  leave  the  child  !’! 

“I  will  trust  in  Christ,”  he  answered, 
Grasped  the  little  one  and  smiled. 

Through  the  roar  of  wind  and  waters 
Ever  and  anon  she  cried, 

But  throughout  the  night  of  terror, 
Never  Bennie’s  voice  replied. 

But  above  the  waves’  wild  surging 
He  had  found  a safe  retreat, 

As  if  God  had  sent  an  angel, 

Just  to  guide  his  wandering  feet. 

When  the  storm  had  spent  its  fury, 
And  the  sea  gave  up  its  dead, 

She  was  mourning  for  her  loved  ones, 
Lost  amid  that  night  of  dread. 


. AND  GEMS  OF  EITERATURE. 


141 


While  her  head  was  bowed  in  anguish, 
On  her  ear  there  fell  a voice, 

Bringing  surcease  to  her  sorrow; 

Bidding  all  her  heart  rejoice* 

“Didn’t  I tell  you  true,”  said  Bennie, 
And  his  eyes  were  full  of  light, 

When  I told  you  God  would  help  me 
Through  the  dark  and  dreadful  night  ?” 

And  he  placed  the  little  darling 
Safe  within  his  mother’s  arm, 

Peeling  Christ  had  been  his  guardian, 
’Mid  the  dangers  and  alarms. 

Oh  ! for  faith  so  firm  and  precious. 

In  the  darkest,  saddest  night, 

Till  life’s  gloom-encircled  shadows 
Fade  in  everlasting  light. 

And  upon  the  mount  of  vision, 

We  our  loved  and  lost  shall  greet, 

With  earth’s  wildest  storms  behind  us, 
And  its  cares  beneath  our  feet. 


142  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

JESUS  SAVIOR  PILOT  ME. 


The  new-made  soul  just  free  from  sin, 
While  his  soul  is  so  light  and  free ; 

Should  have  the  Saviour  with  him  then, 
To  pilot  him  o’er  life’s  rough  sea. 

The  first  few  days  all  may  be  well, 

When  starting. on  life’s  Christian  sea; 

Yet  while  upon  this  earth  you  dwell, 

You  need  Jesus  to  pilot  thee. 

Yes,  when  the  storms  begin  to  rage, 

The  winds  are  not  in  harmony ; 

When  my  boat  sinks  beneath  the  gauge  ; 
Then  Jesus  Savior,  pilot  me. 

Temptation  too,  I know  I’ll  have, 

My  friends  and  foes  will  watch  to  see  , 

I’ll  whisper  softly,  Jesus  save, 

And  also  Jesus  pilot  me. 

There  is  a dark  and  raging  stream, 
Beyond  it  is  eternity  ; 

Let  heavenly  angels  ’round  me  team, 
And  there  let  Jesus  pilot  me. 

Rev.  A.  N.  Stevens. 


AND  GEMS  OF  FITFRATURF. 
A NEGRQ»5  MUSING. 


143 


BY  J*  C.  M ADAMS,  SHEDBYVIDDE,  TBNN. 

O muse  of  heaven  ! help  me  shape  my  lay, 

With,  words  sufficient  keen  to  pierce  the 
heart 

Of  Anglo-Saxon  men,  until  they  say, 

“This  land  of  freedom,  culture,  science, 
art, 

This  land  where,  aliens  come  to  get  a 
start 

In  life,  must  henceforth  to  itself  be  true  ; 

And  every  son  who  of  the  land  is  part! 

The  Negro,  Chinese,  Indian  or  Jew, 

Who  wills,  shall  peace  and  happiness 
pursue.” 

For  years,  the  land’s  been  full  of  shame 
and  wrong  ; 

Its  conscience  seems  quite  dead  and 
cold  ; but  God 

Sleeps  not ; He  sees,  endures  and  waitetli 
long 

Before  he  brings  His  children  ’neath 
the  rod  ; 


144  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Sometimes  He  sends  a dear  one  ’neatli 
the  sod. 

In  devious  ways  reminds  man  of  his  power, 

On  land,  on  sea,  at  home,  and  e’en 
abroad. 

No  one  escapes  the  inevitable  hour. 

“Vengence  is  mine,”  says  He,  “I  will 
devour.” 

Though  men  do  know  that  God  in  heaven 
doth  dwell, 

They  sometimes  tempt  Him,  and  they 
hope  to  gain 

Some  great  advantage.  Say  they,  “All 
is  well.” 

Satan  confirms  them.  “All  is  well  and 
plain,” 

Says  he,  “Such  chances  may  not  come 
again.” 

Hath  not  the  wisest  of  your  poets  said, 

“There  is  a tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 

Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  will  fortune 
wed  ?” 

Put  them  in  practice  that  which  you  have 
read. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


lrb 

The  Negro  is  your  servant ; so  oppress 

Him  to  the  full.  He’s  patient,  strong 
of  limb, 

Too  cowardly  to  e’er  think  of  redress. 

His  intellectual  sky  is  wholly  dim. 

An  Indian  would  resent,  but  never  him. 

Thus  Satan  gulls  some  poor  desiging 
fools. 

Oh,  fellow  Negroes  ! rise  with  all  your 
vim, 

Assisted  by  your  God  and  by  your  schools, 

And  show  such  madmen  you  are  not  their 
tools. 

’Tis  said  we’er  of  inferior  stock  ; a race 

Of  slaves;  made  so  by  God  and  so 
decreed. 

Our  ancestors  e’en  back  to  Ham  men 
trace, 

And  there  find  facts  to  help  our  way 
impede. 

Oh  father!  with  what  logic  men  succeed 

In  making  scriptures  quickly  bear  them 
out ; 

At  least  whene’er  it  helps  Satanic  greed. 


146  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

Their  arguments,  they  think,  would  angels 
route  ; 

Do  so  beyond  a shadow  of  a doubt. 

Know  not  all  men  that  Canaan  was  the 
one 

On  whom  the  curse  did  fall?  Then 
Ham  is  free ; 

Since  ’twas  not  he  by  whom  the  act  was 
done. 

The  scriptures  doth  this  show  the  facts 
to  be, 

Since  this  is  so,  from  whence  came  the 
decree 

That  we  must  hew  the  wood,  and  the 
water  draw,, 

Throughout  all  times,  as  men  of  low 
degree ; 

Be  underlings  ; forever  stand  in  awe 

Of  just  such  things  as  we  ourselves  ? 
Fie ! pshaw ! 

Inferior  stock!  slaves!  patient  like  the 
horse ; 

Resenting  not,  but  toiling  to  the  last. 


AND  GEMS  OF  L,ITEF  A.TURE. 


147 


How  strange  that  Christian  men  would 
dare  endorse 

Such  heartless  cant!  Still  clinging 
to  the  past ; 

Although  the  Negro  has  made  pro- 
gress vast ; 

Has  taken  prizes  at  Harvard  and  Yale  ; 

Has  ever  nailed  excelsior  to  his  mast ; 

Has  bid  farewell  to  ignorance’s  gloomy 
vale  ; 

Resolved  to  weather  every  stormy  gale. 

If  of  “inferior  stock”  why  so  concerned  ? 

A horse  keeps  not  his  master  wake  a’ 
nights. 

Methinks,  perhaps,  they  have  somehow 
discerned 

That  horses  sometimes  kick,  and  this 
fact  plights, 

Destroys,  and  many  a pleasant  prospect 
blights. 

Oft  so.  The  best  laid  schemes  o’  mice 
and  men 

Gang  aft  aglay,”  and  leave  us  no  de- 
lights. 


148  AFRO  AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


’Tis  well  some  things  are  quite  beyond 
man’s  ken  ; 

For  then  he  seeks  his  God;  then,  and 
only  then. 

How  strange  that  men  will  kick  against 
the  pricks ! 

Hold  down,  or  strive  to  hold  the  rising 
sun ! 

Will  dare  attempt  a people’s  standard  fix  ; 

Such  laws  are  fixed  by  an  omniscient 
one. 

So  plain  is  this  that  all  may  read  and 
run. 

Though  clouds  and  darkness  do  awhile 
prevail, 

It  is  not  long  before  the  sun  has  won  ; 

Illuminating  every  hill  and  dale ; 

Because  with  Him  there’s  no  such  word 
as  fail. 

“In  God  we  trust.”  He  is  our  help  and 
shield, 

Believing  in  ourselves  we’ll  enter  in  ; 

As  Negroes  not;  but  men,  against  the 
field; 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


149 


Not  asking  favors  ; but  amid  the  din, 
As  others,  do  our  best  the  race  to  win. 

If  of  4 ‘inferior  stock”  of  course  we’ll  lose 
The  race,  and  reap  the  fruit  of  Canaan’s 
sin ; 

Accept  our  lot ; the  Father’s  plan  we’ll 
choose, 

And  say  the  devil  has  received  his  dues. 

As  citizens  of  this  brave  land ; we  ask 
For  justice,  simple  and  exact,  No  more, 

No  less.  Our  efforts  oft  are  made  a task  ; 
Because  where  others  find  an  open  door, 
Denied  are  we,  though  honest  to  the 
core ; 

Be  cultured,  wealthy,  still  because  we’re 
black, 

Black,  yes  black ; only  this  and  nothing 
more ; 

Think ! too  much  pigment  is  our  only 
lack ; 

Tis  this  which  makes  the  blockade  on 
our  track. 


*50  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

We  ask,  shall  being  black  be  deemed  a. 
sin? 

If  so,  then  say  who  is  the  blame  to  bear  ? 

Cun  leopards  change  their  spots  or  we  our 
skin? 

Perhaps  they  would  have  made  our- 
selves more  fair, 

And  straightened  out,  perhaps,  our 
curly  hair ; 

In  short,  they  would  have  made  a better 
man. 

They  would  have  exercised  the  utmost 
care  ; 

Would  have  improved  upon  the  Father’s 
plan, 

Had  they  been  present  when  the  world 
began. 

Oh  sons  of  Pilgrims ! sons  of  cavaliers ! 

Bethink  you  of  your  patriotic  sires ; 

That  which  your  fathers  gained  by  war 
and  tears. 

By  striking  for  their  altars  and  their 
fires, 

And  giving  vent  to  long  pent  up  desires, 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


151 


Will  you  deny  a race  that  has  been  true 
To  you — a race  that  lawfully  aspires 
To  play  its  part,  and  to  itself  be  true  ? 

If  so,  unworthy  sons,  thrice  shame  on  you. 

Oh  America ! Oh  land  of  the  free ! 

How  long  shall  Satan  rule  the  thoughts 
of  men 

Instead  of  God  ? Oh  when  shall  liberty 
Unfurl  her  flag  to  all,  from  end  to  end, 
Throughout  this  land  ? Echo  answers, 
when  ? 

Shall  prejudice  forever  rule  the  land? 

Then  boast  not  of  “superior”  race  again  ; 
For  you  cannot  on  such  foundation  stand, 
If  you  show  fear  of  an  inferior  hand. 

This  prophecy  I make.  My  words  mark 
well. 

In  coming  years,  will  evils  dread  and 
dire, 

Mafias,  race  wars,  the  historians  tell. 

God  in  heaven  will  empty  out  his  ire  ; 
And  show  to  man  there  is  a power 


152  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


They  must  obey.  The  sword  of  justice 
then 

Aloft  will  be  upraised,  and  never  tire, 
Until  her  outraged  laws  stand  forth  again 
In  purity,  to  guide  the  acts  of  men. 


TOUSSAINT  L’OVERTURE. 


BY  EDW.  H.  KING. 

Weird  and  sad,  Toussaint,  is  thy  story, 

But  sweet  are  the  laurels  entwining 
thy  name ; 

And  they  who  interpret  the  wreaths  of  thy 
glory 

Shall  covet  the  praises  that  garland  thy 
fame. 

The  quill  that  the  record  historic  is 
writing, 

The  pages  that  annals  the  doings  of 
Time, 

Will  proclaim  to  the  future  the  foe  ye 
were  fighting; 

In  rymthical  prose,  in  eulogic  rhyme. 


and  CEJM3  OF  DITFRATURF.  153 

The  children  of  years  that  the  present  is 
seeking, 

Bathing  in  freedom  thy  martyrdom 
shed 

Shall  never  forget  thee ; of  thee  ever  be 
speaking, 

Before  whom  oppression  and  tyranny 
fled. 

Great  is  thy  name ! Who  can  dispute  it, 

Or  point  to  a blurr  thy  career  that 
stains  ? 

It  is  grand ! It  is  bold ! dwells  none  to  re- 
fute it. 

From  the  width  of  the  shores  to  the 
breadth  of  the  main. 

The  vales  of  Domingo ; The  mountains 
of  Hayti, 

Thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  forever 
are  free ; 

The  royal  bequest  which  thou  gave  with 
a sigh 

They  guard  and  protect;  and  they 
emulate  Thee. 


154  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

The  dungeons  of  thraldom ; The  prisons 
of  Slav’ry, 

Those  vipers — the  serpents  who  men 
would  enthrall — ; 

The  deeds  of  thy  valor,  thy  courage,  thy 
brav'ry 

Hath  conquered  their  power — compell’d 
them  to  fall. 

Like  an  evergreen  vine,  like  a tree  ever 
vernal 

Grandeur  immortal  blooms  over  thy 
bier; 

A brow  for  her  crown — Freedom  eternal 

Sought  for  a king  and  elected  thee  heir. 

When  the  tale  of  thy  life  zephrys  are 
lisp’ring 

Tuned  to  the  strains  of  sweet  music 
lays, 

The  voice  of  the  winds  are  thy  eulogies 
whispering ; 

All  nature  the  sonnets  melodious  sways. 


AND  GEMS  OF  EITERATURE. 


155 


Sacred  the  spot  where  eternal  is  sleeping 

The  dust  of  the  hero  who  once  was  a 
slave  ; 

The  dews  of  the  dawn  o’er  thy  casket  is 
weeping, 

While  the  voices  of  song  chants  a dirge 
to  the  brave. 

Oh,  language  is  faulty;  The  tongue  is 
bewildered, 

Thro’  the  forest  of  words  it  seeketh  to 
^ sing ; 

Strives  the  pen  to  inscribe  thy  praise,  but 
is  hindered — 

Like  a bird,  flees  the  import  of  words 
upon  wing. 

Stronger  the  links  thine  aims  were 
achieving, 

Than  the  links  of  the  chain  by  which 
ye  were  bound ; 

When  wondered  the  world,  what  thy  valor 
was’t  weaving, 

The  flag  of  a black  republic  was  found. 


156  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOE  SPEAKER 

The  sword  of  courage ; and  the  gavel  of 
Freedom 

Coulds’t  never  be  wrenched  from  the 
grasp  of  thy  hand, 

And  the  volumes  of  Time  wrote  of  a new 
kingdom 

Where  Liberty’s  waters  could  flow  ’pon 
the  strand. 

Shackles  and  fetters  are  shivered  to  atoms, 

Bondage  no  more  curse  the  home  of  thy 
birth  ; 

And  the  winters,  the  summers,  the  springs 
and  the  autumns 

Visit  thy  kindred  unhampered,  sit  in 
peace  at  thy  hearth. 

Good  deeds  must  be  done  ; and  those  that 
are  coming 

Shall  equal  in  merit  the  deeds  of  the 
past ; 

When  the  judge  of  them  all  shall  their 
value  be  summing, 

Thy  deeds  with  them  all  shall  be 
equally  cast. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  157 

When  the  Goddess  of  Freedom  lay  robed 
in  a shroud, 

When  the  battle  for  right  cease  her 
sons  to  endure, 

When  all  Earth  is  submerged  in  a des- 
potic cloud 

Let  memory  forget  “Toussaint  L’Ouver- 
ture.” 


PROLOGUE. 

V 

BY  MARY  CHURCH  TERREEE. 

To  one  and  all  we  bow, 

And  solemnly  do  vow 
To  do  our  level  best, 

But  you  must  do  the  rest. 

Though  critics  laugh  and  rail, 
We’ll  neither  quake  nor  quail. 
No  poet  Keats  are  we, 

As  you  can  plainly  see. 

And  if  we  entertain, 

In  sad  or  mirthful  strain, 
Sufficient  is  the  meed, 

To  know  that  we  succeed. 


158  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

“HE  KISSED  A NEGRO  .] 
CHILD.”  * 

By  J.  C.  McAdams . 

As  John  Brown  left  the  prison, 
With  aspect  meek  and  mild, 
Along  the  way,  in  open  day, 

He  kissed  a Negro  child. 

The  act  brought  consternation; 

The  soldiers  all  reviled; 

They  thought  ;t  awful,  if  ’twas 
lawful 

To  kiss  a Negro  child. 

The  town  was  in  commotion; 

The  populace  was  wild; 

They  e\en  ran,  to  see  the  man, 
Who’d  kiss  a Negro  child. 

And  now  he’s  at  the  gallows; 

To  fate  he’s  reconciled; 

Thought  he,  to-day,  I clear  the  v ay 
For  every  Negro  child. 

* As  John  Brown  was  being  led  from  the 
prison  to  the  scaffold , he  stopped  on  the 
way  and  kissed  a Negro  child,  held  in  its 
mother's  arms. 


RULES  FOR  ORGANIZING  AND  CONDUCTING 
LITERARY  SOCIETIES,  LYCEUflS,  DE= 
BATING  CLUBS,  ETC. 


Pursuant  to  the  organization  of  any 
kind  of  society,  a Constitution  and  By- 
Laws  should  be  formulated  and  adopted. 
The  Constitution  should  contain  the 
fundamental  rules  and  regulations.  The 
By-Laws  are  intended  to  embody  the 
minor  laws.  The  Constitution  should  be 
amended  or  altered,  only  at  a special 
meeting,  and  by  a vote  of,  at  least,  three- 
fourths  of  all  the  members  belonging  to 
the  society.  The  By  Laws  may  be 
amended  at  any  regular  meeting  and  by 
a majority  vote  of  those  present. 


159 


FORM  OF  CONSTITUTION. 


ARTICLE  I. 

This  organization  shall  be  known  by 
the  name  and  title  of  “The  Frederick 
Douglass  Literary  Association.  ” Its 
object  shall  be  the  free  discussion  of  any 
subject  coming  before  the  meeting  for  the 
purpose  of  diffusing  knowledge  and  in- 
telligence among  its  members. 

ARTICLE  ii. 

The  officers  of  the  Association  shall  be 
a president  or  speaker  ; a first  and  second 
vice-president ; a secretary,  an  assistant 
secretar}/  ; treasurer ; and  a librarian. 
They  shall  hold  office  for  three  months 
or  until  their  successors  are  elected  and 
qualified.  They  shall  be  elected  by  bal- 
lot, the  first  Friday  night  in  January, 
April,  July  and  October  of  each  year. 

160 


161 


AND  GE or  irTZRATVXr.. 

ARTICLE  III. 

It  shall  he  the  duty  of  the  speaker  to 
preside  at  all  public  meetings  of  the 
Association.  The  first  and  second  vice- 
speakers respectively,  shall  preside  in  the 

absence  of  the  speaker. 

The  duty  of  the  secretary  shall  be  to 
keep  an  accurate  record  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Association,  and  to  read  the  same 
at  each  succeeding  meeting.  The  assist- 
ant secretary  shall  assist  and  act  in  the 
absence  of  the  secretary. 

The  treasurer  shall  keep  the  funds  o^ 
the  Association,  making  a quarterly  re- 
port of  all  monies  received,  paid  out,  and 
the  amount  on  hand. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  librarian  to 
carefully  keep  all  books  and  manuscripts 
of  the  Association  not  kept  by  the  secre- 
tary and  treasurer. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

At  the  first  meeting,  after  each  quarter- 
ly election,  the  sneaker  shall  appoint  the 


(62  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

following  standing  committees,  to  consist 
of  three  members  each,  namely ; On 
program,  lectures,  library,  finance  and 
entertainments,  whose  duties  shall  be 
designated  by  the  speaker.  These  com- 
mittees shall  report  at  each  regular  meet- 
ing ; said  reports  subject  to  the  approval 
or  non-approval  of  a majority  vote  of 
those  present. 

ARTtCMS  v. 

Any  lady  or  gentleman  may  become  a 
member  of  this  Association  by  the  consent 
of  the  majority  of  members  present,  at. 
any  regular  meeting;  the  payment  of 
One  Dollar  as  membership  fee,  and  the 
signing  of  the  constitution.  It  shall  be 
the  privilege  of  this  Association  to  elect 
any  one  an  honorary  member,  whose 
presence  and  influence  maybe  advantage- 
ous. No  honorary  member  shall  be  re- 
■q  wired  to  pay  membership  fee  and  dues. 


AW  #EMS  LITER  ATORE, 


16k 


ART ICin  Vh 

This  Association  shall  meet  Friday 
flight  of  meh1  week,  "A  called  petting 
may  be  had  at  the  request  of  a majority 
vote  of  the, members  belonging  to  tie 
Association  only, 

ARTICLE  mi* 

1?he  parliamentary  rules  and  general 
form  of  conducting  public  meetings,  as 
shown  in  the  Afro- American  Speaker  and 
Gems  of  Literature,  shall  be  the  standard 
authority  in  governing  the  deliberations 
of  this  Association, 

article  vm, 

Bach  member  shall  pay  into  the  treas- 
ury ten  cents  on  the  first  Friday  night  of 
each  month, 

article  jx. 

Any  member  failing  to  pay  his  dues,  or 
who  is  guilty  of  improper  conduct,-  calcu. 
Jated  to  bring  this  Association  Into  dis* 
repute  shall  be  expelled  by  a two-thirds 
vote  of  the  members  present,  provided, 


164  AFRO-AMERICAN*  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

nowever,  that  no  member  shall  be  thus 
dealt  with,  without  having  been  given 
one  week’s  notice  in  writing  and  who  is 
not  given  an  opportunity  to  defend  him- 
self before  the  Association. 

ARTICLE  x. 

All  trials  for  non-payment  of  dues  or 
improper  conduct  shall  be  before  a jury 
of  not  less  than  three  members  in  good 
standing,  to  be  appointed  by  the  speaker. 
But  if  the  accused  object,  the  committee 
must  be  elected  by  a majority  vote  of 
those  present. 


BY-LAWS. 


Rule  i.  No  question  shall  be  stated 
unless  moved  by  two  members,  nor  be 
open  for  consideration  until  stated  by  the 
chair.  When  a question  is  before  the 
Society,  no  motion  shall  be  received,  ex- 
cept to  lay  on  the  table,  the  previous 
question,  to  postpone,  to  refer,  or  t© 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 


165 


amend  ; and  they  shall  have  precedence 
in  the  order  they  are  named. 

Rule  2.  When  a member  desires  to 
speak  on  a question,  he  shall  rise  and 
address  the  chair,  as  Mr.  President,  or 
Mr.  Speaker,  confine  himself  to  the  ques- 
tion and  avoid  personality.  Should  more 
than  one  member  rise  to  speak  at  the 
same  time,  the  President  shall  determine 
who  is  entitled  to  the  floor. 

Rule  3.  Every  member  shall  have  the 
privilege  of  speaking  three  times  on  any 
question  under  consideration,  but  not 
oftener,  and  no  member  shall  speak  more 
than  once,  until  every  member  wishing 
to,  shall  have  s\  oken. 

Rule  4.  The  President  shall  state 
every  question  coming  before  the  society  ; 
and  before  putting  it  to  vote  shall  a^k  : 
Are  you  ready  for  the  question  ? Should 
no  member  rise  to  speak,  he  shall  rise  to 
put  the  question  ; and  after  he  has  risen, 
110  member  shall  speak  upon  it,  unless  by 
permission  of  the  society. 


t66  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Rule  5.  The  affirmative  and  negative 
of  the  question  having  been  both  put  and 
answered,  the  President  declares  the  num- 
ber of  legal  votes  cast,  and  whether  the 
affirmative  or  negative  have  it. 

Rule  6.  All  questions,  unless  other- 
wise fixed  by  law,  shall  be  decided  by  a 
majority  of  votes. 

Rule  7.  After  any  question,  except  one 
of  indefinate  postponement,  has  been  de- 
cided, any  member  may  move  a recon- 
sideration thereof,  if  done  in  a week  after 
the  decision.  A motion  for  reconsidera- 
tion of  the  same  question  a second  time 
shall  not  be  in  order. 

Rule  8.  Any  two  members  may  call 
for  a division  of  a question,  when  the 
same  will  admit  of  it. 

Rule  9.  The  President,  or  any  mem- 
ber, may  call  a member  to  order  while 
speaking,  when  the  debate  must  be  sus- 
pended, and  the  member  take  his  seat  un- 
til the  question  of  order  is  decided. 


AND  GEM$  O.F  LTTERAXUKt:,.  . jlu7 

Rule  io.  The  President  shall  preserve 
order  and  decorum  ; may:  speak  to  points 
of  order  in  preference  to  other,  members  ; 
-and  shall,  decide  all  questions  of  order. 

Rule  ii.  No  motion  or  ^proposition  on 
a subject  d ‘if .rent  front  that  tinder  con- 
sideration shall  be  admitted  under  color 
of  an  amendment. 

Rule  12.  No  addition,  alteration  or 
amendment  to  the  Constitution,  By-laws, 
etc  , shall  be  acted  upon,  except  in  accor- 
dance with  the  Constitution. 

Rule  13.  No.  nomination  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  made  until  seconded. 

Rule,  14.  The  president  shall  sign  all 
proceedings,  of  the  meeting. 

Rule  15.  No  member  shall  vote  by 
proxy. 

Rule  16.  No  motion  shall  be  with- 
drawn by  the  mover  unless  the  second 
withdraw  his  second. 

Rule. 17.  No  extract  from  any  book 
shall  be  read  consuming  more  than  five 
minutes. 


168  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKS  ~ 

Rule  18.  No  motion  for  adjournment 
shall  be  in  order  until  after  nine  o’clock. 

Rule  19.  Every  motion  shall  be  re- 
duced to  writing,  should  the  officers  of 
the  society  desire  it. 

Rule  20.  An  amendment  to  an  amend- 
ment is  in  order,  but  not  to  amend  an 
amendment  to  an  amendment  of  a main 
question. 

Rule  21.  The  previous  question  shall 
be  put  in  this  form,  if  seconded  by  a 
majority  of  the  members  present : “shall 
the  main  question  be  put  ?”  If  decided 
in  the  affirmative,  the  main  question  is 
put  with  all  other  debate  suspended. 

Rule  22.  Members  not  voting  shall  be 
considered  as  voting  in  the  affirmative, 
unless  excused  by  the  society. 

Rule  23.  Any  member  offering  a pro- 
test against  any  of  the  proceedings  of 
this  societ3L  may  have  the  same,  if,  in  re- 
spectful language,  entered  upon  the 
minutes. 


AXI>  CEMS  OE  LITERATURE, 


169 


Rule  24.  No  subject  laid  on  the  table 
shall  be  taken  up  again  on  the  same 
evening. 

Rule  25.  No  motion  shall  be  debatable 
until  seconded. 

RrJI,E  26.  Points  of  order  are  debatable 
to  the  society* 

Rule  27.  Appeals  and  motions  to  re- 
consider or  adjourn  are  not  debatable. 

Rule  28.  When  a very  important 
motion  or  amendment  is  made  and 
seconded,  the  mover  shall  reduce  the  same 
to  writing,  and  hand  it  in  at  the  table, 
from  which  it  shall  be  read  to  the  society 
for  debate. 

Rule  29.  The  mover  of  a motion  shall 
be  at  liberty  to  accept  any  amendment, 
but  if  any  amendment  be  offered  and  not 
accepted,  the  society  shall  pass  upon  it 
before  voting  upon  the  original  motion. 

Rule  30.  Every  officer,  on  leaving  his 
office,  shall  give  to  his  successor  all 
papers,  documents,  books  or  money  be- 
l°nging  to  the  society. 


170  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

Rule  $i.  No  smoking  and  no  refresh- 
ments, except  water,  shall  be  allowed  in 
the  society’s  hall, 

RuLE  32.  When  a motion  to  adjourn  is 
carried,  no  member  shall  leave  his  seat 
until  the  President  has  left  his  chair. 


parliamentary  RULES  AND 
USAGES. 

The  following  are  the  rules,  in  a plain 
and  compact  form,  for  conducting  a public 
meeting : 

Quorum y 

A quorum  is  a sufficient  number  of  the 
members  of  an  association  to  legally 
transact  business.  Unless  a quorum  is 
present  no  business  is  in  ordt  r,  except  to 
adjourn.  A majority  of  the  members 
constitutes  a quorum,  but  the  By-Laws  of 
the  Association  may  prescribe  a smaller 
number. 


171 


ANl>«!EMSTOF  WTEEATBBE}; 


The  t Chairman , 


~vf! 


It  is  the  duty  of  the  Chairman  to  open 
the  meeting  /at  the  designated  time','  by 

fair  in  o*  f h U'  on  air  rail  in  op  llii 


r”  . ■ ■ v ; . r H f;  ir.y  : n n.  , □ * . n 

ne  chair,  calling  the  house 

, wfli  - j;  , 'Tv< ; \ 


order,'’ announcing  the' bu^fiiess ‘Before  the 
house  in  the  order  which  it  is  to  tie  acted 


-upon  ; to  receirrkh'dmbinit  all  motions  ; 
top  puts  wte  >'aM-qtiestioti.S' : .which  Pare 
^eguiarlyomwed,  or  rise,  and  4o  annotHice 
the  result*;  to-  restrain  every  one  when 
engaged  tint  debate^  within  the  rules  of 
order  p to-appoint  com mittees,  $ r to  au then- 
t i cate  by  h is  • sig  ua  L ure,  f w hen  n ecess a ry > 
all  the  acts,  of  ■ the=  house,  and-  to.  declare 
its*  with  He  'may-,  speak',  to. -points  -.of 
order  in ipreference  to  -others,; -decide  all 
questions  of  order,*  and  if  the  house  is 
evenly  divided- he  may  give  the  casting 
vote,  he  may,  if  he  pleases,  give  his 
reasons.  - 

. : T The  Clerk . 

Id  is  the  duty  of  the  Clerk  or  Secretary 
to  keep  connect  minutes  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  house  ; to  stand  and  read  all 


172  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

papers  when  ordered  ; to  call  the  roll,  and 
state  the  answer  when  a vote  is  taken  by 
yeas  and  nays  ; to  have  all  papers  and 
documents,  and  to  authenticate  the  acts 
and  proceedings  of  the  house  by  his 
signature. 

Committees. 

Standing  committees  sit  permanently  ; 
special  committees  perform  only  some 
particular  duty.  The  person  first  named 
is  usually  regarded  as  chairman,  but  this 
is  only  a matter  of  courtesy  ; every  com- 
mittee has  a right  to  select  its  own  chair- 
man. Custom  has  taken  away  this  right 
and  it  is  considered  bad  form  to  elect  any 
other  person  than  the  first  named  as 
chairman.  In  the  appointment  of  the 
committee  no  person  directly  opposed  to 
the  measure  committed  should  be  named, 
and  when  such  person  hears  himself 
named  should  ask  to  be  excused.  The 
chair  appoints  all  committees.  Com- 
mittees do  not  adjourn,  but,  when  they 
have  concluded  their  deliberations  should 


AND  GEMS  OP  UTERATURE. 


173 


rise  and  report.  When  the  report  is 
received  the  committee  is  discharged  and 
cannot  act  further  without  new  power. 
The  committee  of  the  whole  is  an  ex- 
pedient to  simplify  the  business  of  legis- 
lative bodies.  No  record  is  made  of  its 
proceedings.  The  presiding  officer  puts 
the  question,  if  same  is  carried,  appoints 
some  one  as  chairman  and  then  vacate  the 
chair. 

Motions. 

Propositions  made  to  a deliberative 
assembly  are  called  motions  ; when  the 
proposition  is  put  to  vote,  it  is  called  a 
question.  A motion  can  not  be  enter- 
tained or  the  question  put,  until  the  same 
has  been  seconded.  After  this,  it  becomes 
the  property  of  the  house,  and  cannot  be 
withdrawn  except  by  leave.  It  must  be 
m writing  whenever  the  house  requires 
it,  and  must  be  read  when  any  person  de- 
mands it  for  information.  No  motion  can 
be  made  while  a speaker  has  the  floor, 


174  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOQL#  SPEAKER 

nor  while  another  motion  is  pending,  ex- 
cept a question  of  privilege. 

Amendments . 

A motion  may  be  amended  by  inserting 
words,  or  by  striking  out  words,  or  by 
striking  out  and  inserting  words.  A 
motion  may  be  made  to  amend,  after 
which  a motion  will  be  to  amend  the 
amendment,  but  this  is  the  full  limit  of 
the  rule  by  which  one  motion  may  be  put 
upon  another.  A motion  to  amend  the 
second  amendment  is  not  in  order.  Ques- 
tions of  privilege  can  not  be  amended,  ex- 
cept that  a motion  to  postpone  can  be 
amended  as  to  time. 

i. 

=,d J 1 ! : The amstm?  ' r ' 1 

The  qvu-stieti  is  first  to  be  put  on  the 
affirmative;  and  then- bn  the  negative 
S'i'ddp 1 the  ivote  ■ in  most  eases*  being  by 
oraloTespcmseol  If  there  are  doubts  as  to 
the  voice*  of  the  rriaj drity,  kny  one  **may 

call  form  divfeionu- -TmcaSe  the  hotiseris 
equally  (divided;  the-questiott*  i is  losfcj*  uni- 


and  gems  of  literature  I?s 

less  the  presiding  officer  affirms  it  by  a 
casting  vote.  When  a division  is  had 
those  in  the  affirmative  on  the  question,’ 
should  first  rise  and  be  counted,  then 
those  on  the  negative,  two  tellers  may 
count,  report  to  the  chairman,  and  he  de- 
clare the  res  ul  t to  the  hou  se.  A question 
snould  always  be  stated  by  the  chair  be- 
fore it  is  put,  after  which,  it  is  open  for 
debate.  Questions  may  be  stated  by  the 
chair  while  sitting,  but  he  should  always 
rise  to  put  a question,  and  use  this  form : 
As  many  as  are  of  the  opinion  that  (as 
the  question  may  be)  will  say  aye;”  after 
the  affirmative  voice  is  expressed,  “as 
many  as  are  of  a contrary  opinion  will  say 
no.  He  declares  the  vote.  After  a ques- 
tion has  been  put,  it  is  not  debatable,  but 
after  the  affirmative  is  put,  any  person 
who  has  not  spoken  tb  the  question,  may 
arise  and  speak  before  the  negative  is  put. 

Division  of  Question, . 

Any  person  may  call  for  the  division  of 
a question  if  it  comprehend  propositions, 


176  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

in  substance  so  distinct,  that,  one  being 
taken  away,  a substantive  proposition 
shall  remain  for  decision. 

Privileged  Questions. 

When  a question  is  under  debate,  no 
motion  shall  be  received,  except  to  ad- 
journ ; to  lay  on  the  table  ; the  previous 
question ; to  postpone  to  a certain  day ; 
to  commit;  to  amend;  to  postpone  in- 
definitely. These  motions  have  precedence 
in  the  order  in  which  they  stand  arranged, 
andfe  are  called  privileged  questions. 
When  a matter  has  been  laid  on  the 
table  it  may  be  taken  up  any  time  after- 
ward and  considered,  but  not  at  the  same 
meeting  at  which  it  was  tabled.  There 
are  several  questions  which,  being  inci- 
dental to  every  one,,  will  take  the  place  of 
every  one,  privileged  or  not ; as,  a ques- 
tion of  order  arising  out  of  any  other 
question  must  be  decided  before  that 
question. 


Previous  Questions . 

When  any  question  is  before  the  house 
any  member  may  move  that  the  question 
(called  the  main  question)  be  now  put,  or 
may  move  the  previous  question.  If  it 
pass,  the  main  question  is  to  be  put  im- 
mediately and  no  further  debate  is  allowed. 

Questions  of  Order . 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  chairman  to  de- 
cide all  questions  of  order  whenever 
raised.  . Upon  such  questions  no  discus- 
sion is  in  order,  but  if  the  decision  is  not 
satisfactory,  any  one  may  object  to  it  and 
appeal  to  the  house.  On  appeal  being 
taken,  the  question  should  be  : “ Shall 

the  decision  of  the  chair  stand  as  the 
judgment  of  the  house?”  Whereupon 
the  question  may  be  debated  and  dis- 
cussed the  same  as  any  other  question. 

Commitment . 

Any  measure  may  be  referred  to  a com- 
mittee on  motion.  A motion  to  commit 
may  be  amended  by  the  substitution  of 


178  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SPEAKER 

one  kind  of  committee  for  another,  by 
enlarging  or  diminishing  the  number  of 
the  members  of  the  committee,  or  by  in- 
structions to  the  committee.  After  a 
measure  has  been  committed  and  reported, 
it  should  not  be  recommitted,  but  is  some- 
times recommitted,  and  usually  to  the 
same  committee. 

Reconsideration . 

When  a motion  or  question  shall  have 
been  determined,  either  in  the  affirmative 
or  negative  it  is  always  in  order  for  any 
one  who  voted  with  the  majority  to  move 
for  a reconsideration  thereof.  Such  motion 
must  be  made  at  the  same  meeting  which 
the  former  vote  was  taken.  A motion  to 
reconsider  being  put  and  lost  cannot  be 
renewed. 

Undebatable  Motions. 

A motion  to  adjourn;  to  lay  on  the 
table,  and  a call  for  the  previous  question, 
must  be  decided  without  debate.  All  in- 
cidental questions  of  order,  arising  after 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE.  179 

a motion  is  made  must  be  decided,  whether 
on  appeal  or  otherwise,  without  debate. 

Order  in  Debate. 

When  a person  means  to  speak,  he  is 
to  stand  up  in  his  place,  and  address  him- 
self to  the  chair,  who  calls  him  by  name, 
that  all  may  take  notice  who  it  is  that 
speaks.  A person  who  is  indisposed  mar 
be  indulged  to  speak  sitting.  When  i 
person  rises  to  speak,  no  question  is  to  be 
put,  he  is  to  be  heard  undisturbed,  unless 
overruled.  If  two  or  more  rise  to  speak 
nearly  together,  the  chair  determines  who 
was  first  up  and  calls  him  by  name,  where- 
upon he  proceeds,  unless  he  voluntarily 
sits  down  and  yields  the  floor  to  the  other. 

No  one  may  speak  more  than  twice  to 
the  same  question,  without  the  consent  of 
the  house,  except  merely  to  explain  him- 
self in  some  material  part  of  his  speech, 
or  to  the  manner  of  words  in  question’ 
keeping  himself  to  that  only  and  not  go- 
ing  into  the  merits  of  it. 


* 


180  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL*  SPEAKER- 

If  the  chairman  rises  to  speak,  the 
person  standing  must  sit  down,  that  the 
chair  may  be  heard  first.  No  one  is  to 
speak  impertinently,  or  beside  the  ques- 
tion, or  to  use  indecent  language  against 
the  proceedings  of  the  house.  Nor  should 
a person  in  speaking  mention  another  than 
present,  by  his  name,  but  should  describe 
him  by  his  seat,  or,  “as  the  gentleman 
who  spoke  last”  or,  “on  the  other  side  of 
the  question,”  etc.  Any  one  when  called 
to  order  by  another  or  by  the  chair  should 
sit'down,  and  not  proceed  until  the  ques- 
tion of  order  shall  have  been  decided  by 
the  chair.  While  the  presiding  officer  is 
addressing  the  house  or  putting  a question 
no  one  should  cross  the  floor  or  leave  the 
room ; nor  while  another  is  speaking, 
walk  between  him  and  chair. 

Adjournment. 

A motion  to  adjourn  is  not  susceptible 
to  an  amendment.  If  it  is  desirable  to 
adjourn  to  any  particular  place  or  time, 
this  may  be  accomplished  by  a previous 
resolution  to  that  effect. 


I 


I 


SUPPLEMENT 


182  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

PROSPERITY. 

By  J.  C.  McAdams. 

When  we  catl  read  our  A‘e  eat"’ 

To  mansions,  stocks  and  larn^  ^ 

Then  many  a man  who  no  ■ 

W ill  shake  a friendly  hand. 

Eh  on  Id  earth  against  us  then 

It  cSnot  make  its  bluff:  

We  would  not  mind  its  fretfu  rage, 

For  we  would  have  the  stuff. 

If  cares  like  a wild  deiugeeome, 
And  stocks  should  rise  and  tall 
Wen  sit  back  m our  cozy  h<  m 
And  sing  “After  the  Ball. 

We  then  could  bathe  our  v\  eai  y 
frame, 

In  seas  of  earthly  ies  , cicknes** 
And  when  the  time  of  sickness- 

comes 

We’d  have  a feathery  nesu 
Let’s  love  the  Lord  with  all  our 
‘might, 

/.nd  love  the  dole  . s too; 


183 


and  gems  of  LITERATURE 

1 he  lord  will  help  us  in  the  fight, 

The  dollars  take  us  through 

My  friends  suppose  we  henceforth  try, 
As  through  this  world  we  go; 

To  lay  a little  something  by. 

And  hare  some  heaven  below. 


iN«  GEMS  OF  I.I  I KKATl?  KK  18#: 

SIMPLE  CONTENT.  • 1w 

’ DFU 

" . . li:  ■ '!  . :,.i 

' The  hermit  on  the  mountain , 
wrapped  in  silence  and  . in  chv*4, 
The  busy  man  of  nionej  im>  ] :•<:  i 
blindly  through  the  crowd,  • 

The  poet  courting  frenzy  where  the  :f 
tempest  trumpets  loud,  / 

: All,— all  would  smile  :upon  me  j fo^n 

the  weakness  of  my  heart,  ■)  M 
And  pity  me  in  pride  that  1 slundd  A 
play  so  small  a 'party.;  : 

Who  have  no  great  ambition  and 
who  claim  no  noble  art. 

And  each  would  scorn  the  other  \ 
and  each  tell  it  o’er  and  o’er, 
Merchant,  dwelfer  oil  the  mountain/ a 
and  the  singer  by  the  shore, 

How  life  to  him  was  sweeter  than  \ 
his  fellows’  and  meant  more.  ^ 
But  neither  scorn  nor  pity  him  who 
v.  chooses  his  own  way, 

Let  him  make  of  life  a labor  or  the 
world  a place  to  play; 

For  I know  my  brother’s  darkness 
may  to  me  seem  brightest  day. 


186  afro-amkrican  school  speaker 

One  may  see  no  joy  save  grasping 
shinging  gold  within  his  hand. 

One  may  find  his  only  pleasure  on  the 

mountain  lone  and  grand; 

While  I prize  my  humble  valley  as  the 
dearest  in  the  land. 

But  I will  not  flount  his  judgement  nor  . 
deride  his  settled  bent, 

For  monarch  in  his  palace  and  with 
Arab  in  his  tent, 

So  I love  my  valley  and  I love  my. hum- 
ble cot  and  I find  so  many — 

And  I find  so  many  pleasures  in  my 
homely  simple  lot 

That  I have  no  time  to  worry  over  bless 
ings  I have  not 

And  I envy  not  the  poet  who  sits  sing- 
ing by  the  sea. 

For  the  song  this  lazy  river  croons  is 
sweet  enough  for  me. 

And  in  bliss,  I sit  and  listen,  dreaming 
dreams  of  Arcady ! 

Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar , 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE  18? 

JE8  BLURT  HIT  OUT 

By  Leland  M Fisher 

Hit  alius  did  look  like  to  me 
J3r  kind  o’  misfit  charet, 

Ter  wait  untel  er  feller’s  dead 
Afore  his  benediction’s  said 
1 never  could,  ter  save  my  skin 
See  what  good  hit  done  ’im  then 
But  they’s  lots  an’  scores  o’  folks 
That  plays  them  very  kind  o’  jokes 
They  talk  erbout  ye  to  yer  back 
An’  keep  yer  good  name  on  the  rack 
An’  outer  houses  made  o’  glass 
Throw  rocks  ernuff  to  dam  the  pass, 

0 ’ Mississippi  er  the  Nile, 

Then  way  erlong  after  while 
When  all  mean  things  yer  ever  done 
Has  been  talked  over,  one  by  one, 

An’  multiplied  and  made  ter  look 
Like  mount ’ns  in  er  picture  book 
An’  lies  ernuff  been  told  on  you 
Ter  start  ernother  hell  or  two 
An’  livin  gets  ter  be  torment 
An’  ye  don’t  give  a blasted  cent 
Erbout  it,  an’  jes  cease  ter  try 
An’  in  despair  lay  down  and  die. 

Then  they  commence  to  sing  ye  praise. 


188  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

praise 

An’  talk  erbout  the  by-gone  days, 
Untel,  ef  ye  could  git  erway, 

An’  come  back  here  an’  spen’er  dayj 
Like  er — what" you'  oklf jem  p^etk 
Ye  would  ’n  know  yer  blamed  bf  self 
I say  I never,  in  all  my  days f 
Could  see  th’  good  postmortem  praise 
Done  er  man,  nohow  So  ef  ye  see  - 
Anything  good  er  tall  in  me,  “ 

I wush  ye ’d  kind  o ’ blurt  hit  out , 

While  I am  up  an’  going  erbout, 

Don’t  save  hit  back  to  make  er  fuss  ; 
With  when  hit  wont  be  vvuth  a cuss  t 
Hit  hi  do  me  good  ef  now  hits  said 
But  I wont  need  hit  When  I’m  dead, 

A . vjr.iO  •; e.-CV:  * 


/ 


189 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE 

IT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN 

By  Mrs  Susan  T Penn, 

Think  of  the  past  that  forever  hath 
flown, 

( )f  the  dream  that  in  childhood  dream- 
ed 

Sometime  1 think  I should  never  have 
known 

That  the  world  was  not  what  it 
seemed ; 

I turn  me  about  and  I wonder  in  vain 

Why  the  earth  was  so  bright  and  not 
dreary  then 

I gather  up  links  that  form  me  a 
chain 

And  then  I remember  that  it  might 
have  been. 

Might  have  won  laurels.  I never  have 
won 

T might  have  healed  wounds  that  never 
healed, 

Ah!  So  many  things  that  I might  -have 
done 

perchance  to  the  world  will  remain. 


190 


AFKO-AMKKICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


unsealed 

Yea  the  world  may  not  know  what  our 
worth  should  be, 

Even  to  us  it  is  hidden  behind  a 
screen 

But  any  one  can  see,  can  planely  see 
When  reflecting  that  it  might  have 

been  . , t , 

1 am  here  in  a cottage  that  is  humble 

and  poor; 

And  it's  strange  to  see  how  others  suc- 
ceed, , A 

Perhaps  our  chances  were  better  ana 

more  , . 

Yet  our  way  was  not  their  way,  our 

creed  not  their  creed; 

This  is  why  the  world  looks  backward 

and  sighs, 

And  thinks  of  the  past  only  alter  the) 

Themanylsad  days  that  beclouded  then 
skies  * 

Then  well  remember  that  it  might  have 


been. 

When  our  temples  are  frosted 
autumns  near  spent, 

Then  we  ponder  and  look 


and  our 
at  the 


AND  GEMS  OF  UTBRATOSB  191 

wealth  of  our  friends ; 

It  mystifies  us  then  to  think  we’re 
content 

That  we  spend  cents  while  he 
thousands  spends; 

We  groan  for  awhile  then  take- 
courage  again. 

And  trudge  along  life’s  pathway  rs 
best  we  can : 

Well  satisfied  and  willing  awhde  to 
remain 

But  oh!  we  remember  that  it  might 
have  been. 


♦♦♦♦ 


©F 

ISLAS©.^ 


A DRAMA  IN  SIX  ACTS. 

OF  ABSORBING  INTEREST. 
Illustrating  a Phase  ol  the 
Race  Questi or. 

Often  as  real  >*  *9 
Pathetic. 


Story  WritU  - By  Mrs.  Susan  T Penn. 
Dramatized  By  Dr  M.  V.  Lynk. 

JK  **  ***■«>  * + A 

COPTIUGHT1 900. 

V -<r  ^SSr  ^ ^ 

A//  Persons  who  -burchasr  ‘ mtS 
hook  arc  given  the  right  to  reproduce  this 


drama. 


!V; 


' 


MM! 


“ She  now  dismissed  her  maid  with  instruction  to  show 
lover,  Captain  Seymour,  into  the  blue  parlor. 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 

dramatis  personas. 


195 


Keturah  Luckana— A Dark  Princess 
Her  Majesty— [dark]  Queen  of  -tan 
Is  .ad  and  mother  of  Keturam  _ 
Stepas  Luckana— Tall,  dark  1 rince, 
the  son  of  the  dark  Queen. 

Royal  Maid-Gertrude— An  ouve 
brown  girl  of  sixteen  summers. 

6*"epas  Luckana’s  Groom— A dark 
young-  man  of  about  twenty-one  years. 
Captain  Sinclair—  A tall  octoroon. 
Selicia  Latelie— (white)  an  American 
Blonde. 

Captain  Seymour— (white) 

Lana  Santa— A darn  stout  p'-imt, 
(handsome) 

Selicia’s  Mother—  (wb  e) 

The  hoyal  Physician- (dark) 
Ladies  and  Gentlemen  at  the  ball 
(dark) 

Selall-  (dark)  Royal  Guard. 

SXNOBSSS. 


Captains  CnT'»nour  and  Sinclair  visit  a 
Negro  Isi;  dKi  .dom. 

Captain  .....liour  becomes  infatuated 
with  the  charms  Gf  the  dark,  though 
fair,  young  Princess. 


196  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Captain  Sinclair  (an  octoroon,  though 
without  knowing-  it)  expresses  a decided 
ii>iil<e  lor  dark  women. 

K el  m ail  fails  in  love  with  Captain 
Seymour. 

A iair  American  Blonde  is  also  in  love 
.v 1 1 u Captain  Seymour. 

Prince  Luckana  considers  it  a disgrace 
and  commits  suicide. 

The  (Jueen  a iso  dies  of  grief. 

Captain  Seymour  and  the  dark  Princess 
marry. 

The  American  Blonde  dispairs  of 
waiting-  for  Captain  Seymour  and  mar- 
ries (.'apt  Sinclair. 

After  an  absence  of  several  years,  the 
two  couples  met  in  the  conservatory  at 
Home,  and  discover  their  kinship. 

COSTUMES 


Tim- Princess,  who  is  tall,  should  be 
dress  i in  a satin  gown  of  black  brocade, 
elab  itely  trimmed  in  jet  and  valencines 
la  Hair  curled  high  upon  her  head. 
Other  characters  should  be  dressed  ac- 
cording to  their  station  in  the  play,  too 
much  care  can  not  be  given  to  the  care- 
ful selection  of  the  costumes.  The  in- 
terval between  the  acts  should  >e  about 
five  minutes,  and  should  be  taken  up 
with  appropiate  mus^ 


AMD  Giii:  >F  LITBRATUBB. 


1»7 

ACT.  i. 

Scene  I. 

KUTURAH: — {standing  before  the 
mirror  of  her  parlor.) 

“OH!  I admire  the  way  in  which  you 
have  arranged  my  hair,  it  surpasses  my 
greatest  expectation.  I did  not  think  it 
would  be  so  becoming,  fixed  in  the  latest 
coiffure.  Now,  Gurtrude,  you  may  show 
Captain  Seymour  into  the  blue  parlor” 
[ Quietly  she  sat  and  meditating  over  her 
mother's  obstinacy  to  her  marriage  to 
Captain  Seymours  she  audibly  whispered] 
“I  know  that  my  mother  is  proud, 
haughty:  .*nd  ''imperious,  and  my  .father 
whs  more  s..  Where  could  I have  got- 
ten such  a mind  to  ever  think  of  marry- 
ing a sea  captain — a plain  sea  captain 
wi'hout  a title  Preposterous,  of  course! 
bui  1 love  him  with  ail  my  soul.  I must 
decide  and  give  my  own  answer  to  day 
for  my  mother,  I know,  will  not  relent,  I 
need  not  wait  longer,#  I am  her  only 
child  and  perchance  after  we  are  married 
and  happy  mother  will  forgive.” 

SELAH:- — \ Enters  and  kneels]  “May  it 
please  Her  Roval  Highness,  the  Prin- 
rKSKOK  ttau  ISLAND,  Captain  Seymour 
awaits  in  4 he  parlor  ” 

r Keturah  arises  and  gracefully  passes 
oid  of  the  — Curtain  falls.  1 Five 
minutes  interval. 


198  AFRO-AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

Scene  II  [ Curtain  rises , Captain  Sey- 
mour  seated  in  the  blue  pai  lor , springs  o 
his  feet  as  Keturah  enters , meets  the  Prin- 
cess and  escorts  her  to  a seat  on  the  divan 
beside  himself.  He  gently  catches  her  by 
the  shoulder  and  holds  her  away  so  as  to 
vet  a better  view  of  her.] 
d CAPT.  SEYMOUR:— “Keturah,  I am 
anxious,  almost  crazy,  to  hear  my  doom. 

If  y ‘U  refuse  to  give  tne  a satisfactory 
answer  I will  be  forced  to  fill  the  gra  ve 
Oj  a suicide  I can  no  longer  bear  the 
pressure,  Keturah,  it  will  kill  me  C;.  i 
£ call  you  my  own  dear  wife;  Keturali 
answer  me.”  [He  lets  her  loose  and  slips 
one  arm  arouud  her  plump  hare  shoulders. 
Keturah  lays  her  head  upon  his  breast.] 
CAPT.  S. — Anticipating  the  answer. 
“Oh  Keturah,  mv  own  darling  Keturah’ 

\ Embracing  and  kissing  her , he  continues  J 
“Darling  sweet  wife  \ ( u shall  be.  yott 
have  made  this  world  a parade  : u at 
otherwise  would  have  beeri  a _ u.n  ' v 1 
derness.”-  [5 peaking  with  tare  to  tne 
audience.]  “Though  1 am  a -mug  man, 
vet  when  L grow  olo,  after  5 ' ’'e 

crone  through  much  of  tuis  w >r.d  s 
Wouoles— even  then,  when  • - Lhe 

odor  of  honeysuckles  and  heliotropes, 
I shall  live  over  again  these  sweet  mo- 
ments of  earthly  bliss.”  [Curiam  funs. . 


A.NJL*  G.EMS  v,!'  1J  1 *TUJfc?-I5. 


199 


ACT  II. 


Scene:  [A  white  woman  sitting  in  a 

parlor,  furniture  different  from  the  pro- 
ceeding one,  looking  out  of  the  winuozc. 
Her  daughter,  a beautiful  blonde,  nernus- 
ly  walking  the  floor.  Curtain  rising 
t ^ S-fevL/lC  _ >>  MO  r HEK : — demonstrative 

“You,  mv  only  daughter,  whom  I have 
verily  worshipped  ; mu  t deceive  her  rar- 
est in  such  a manner  as  this.  You  have 
received  letters  from  Caot.  Seymour. 
Why  keep  it  from  me?  I much  reler 
you  marry  him.” 

SEUCIA: — “Mother  I have  not  re- 
ceived a letter  from  Capt.  Seymo  r n 
mo-re  than  six  m mths.”  [sobbin o-\  O ! 
Mother,  if  you  could  on ly  read  my  h ar  ; 
if  you  only  knew  how  intensely  I love 
aim,  you  could  then  understand'  what  I 
have  to  bear.  I have  waited  long  and 
patienfly  for  a:;  filer.  I have  almost 
breathlessly  watched  for  a letter,  tut 
failed  to  receive  it.  And  mother,  1 am 
now  past  twenty-four  years  of  age,  am  [ 
to  await  his  pleasure,  who,  percharce  ; 
loving  some  fair  Senorita  of  Mexio  . r 
worshipping  at  the  shrine  of  some  dasn- 
tng  western  beauty?  I I vc  him,  nu  ther, 
but  he  can  not  humiliate  me.  Mr  Sin- 
clair is  a gentleman,  though  not  a nu  m- 
ber of  aristocratic  circles.  He  has  made 
money  honorably  and  plenty.” 


AFkU-AMKUlCAK  SCHOOL  'SI’KAK  LK 


SKLICIA’S  wOVUER:  “Well  Seli- 

cia,  I say  and  re-iterate,  your  marriage 
with  Sinclair  will  not -be  happy,  such 

marriages  are  „ev,r-  . m m jearuest 

mu  I sav  he  is  beueu  h you.  yea  tar 
vour  nferior,  in  my  estimation,  granting 
that  he  has  ten  times  the  money  that  he 
has.”  X Curtail  'alls.] 

ACT  III. 

Scene  [ Curtain  rises.  A ba}!r.^rt/C 
at  Marble  Castle,  Capital  op  IT  AH  AS  • 

LAND , given  by  the  Princess  Keturah. 

; Those  present,  are  Keturah;  _ Capt  Sey 

\ viour;  Her  Majesty Queen  of  ltah 
l v nclair;  Count  Luckana;  Lana  Santa 
a .ic  piana,  and  a gay  party  engaged  in 

a cine;  and  merrymaking.] 

tPT.  SEYMOUR:— | audibly  whis- 
pering— as  h e ent,  -s  the  parlor  ] We  11, 

i .an  not  say  that  1 would  be  ashamed  of 

•nv  bride,  or  her  people,  should  they  • 
thrown  amongst  mine,  on  the  eontihent, 

1 find  as  refined  a people  as  ' asUeen  j 
lot  to  meet  at  home  or  abroad,  [Cap  ■ 
Seymour  looking  ova  the  room  be holds 

Keturah,  who  is  lavishly  dressed  and  de  o- 
rated  with  diamonds  unstmtmgly y he  say  >,  J 
*‘M'  1 -.fling."  Kt  me  seat  you,  t>  r ' 

1 if  . reman  standh  - vou  u 1 r _.y 

\ Turns  his  face  to  audience \ » 1 
n't  k • w ether  I an.  wors.  p- 
— ' — * Ay 


a some  a> 


creature  or  not 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


20* 


darling*  may  be  from  a fairy  land;  and  I 
may  loose  my  bride.  Keturah,  come  let 
me  see  your  eyes,  let  me  Is  ear  your  voice.” 
[He  led • her  away  into  an  adjoining 
room — after  the  first  dance  they  returned — 
when  all  eyse  were  upon  them.] 

KETUK.i  Jri . —[advancing  toward  Count 
Luckana , and  hanging  on  the  Captain's 
arm  says  bashjully;  — 1 “Gome  let  me  in- 
troduce you  to  my  cousin.”  “Count 
Luckana,  Captain  Seymour.” 

COUNT  LU CK  ANA:—  [Bows  politely 
but  stiffly ] Keturah  then  introduces  the 
Captain  to  Miss  Lana  Santa,  at  the  piano. 

[Ketui  ah  leaves  the  room  alone .] 
[Captains  Seymour  and  Sinclair  talking  ] 
SINCLAIR — “Captain  S.  these  are 
stfrely  not  same  as  the  American  Negro?” 
CAPT.  S — “Probaly  not  Yet  1 am 
laboring  under  the  impression  that  you 
have  not  met  the  best  of  these  people  on 
the  continent  ” 

SINCLAIR — ‘ I suppose  not,  for  the 
people  here  differ  widely  in  every  respect. 
They  are  ret  nth,  intelligent— and  By- 
George,  the  ladies  are  pretty  and  accom- 
plished. I have  never  seen  a more  swell 
assembly  in  our  own  metropolis.  But 
what  would  our  wives  and  daughters  say 
if  they  knew  that  we  were  being  so  roy- 
ally entertained?  Upon  my  word,  Sey- 
mo’-  * it  is  strange  to  be  thus  courted  at 
the  pital  of  ITAH  ISLAND,  by  a half 
breed  African.” 


202  WKO-AMEK*. c a:;  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 

is  i)  i.  • ■ . ; • • 

• )i  0APT.  S. — “I  suppose  that  key 
would  be  perfectly  disgusted,  and  almost 
throw  us  overboard.” 

- SINCLAIR  -“Well,  they  need  not 
give  themselves  any  uneasiness  about 
m^  ) For  if  all  the  wealth  of  this  Isiana 
were. piled  at  my  feet,  and  the  cros^n 
to ; > ffn  in,  I couldn’t  marry  a dark  woman. 
Y-  Twill  pardon  me  if  I say  I hate  them. 

PT.  S — {With  head  turned  to 
audience]  “He  doesn’t  know  aiat.  i am 
a .perately  in  love  with  one  of  these 
tairv  queens.  The  crown,  .well  perish 
the  thought!  the  women  are  the  prettiest 
creatures  human  eyes  ever  beheld.” 

' Exit  Seymour.  Sinclair  remains*  sit- 
ting on  the  sofa— in  the  meantime  eyeing 

' MAJESTY,*THE  queen  of 

IT  AH  ISL  AND.—  [In  an  adjoining 
ronmy  barely  in  sight , and  audible , with 
iunh,  Stepas  Luckana,  Seymour  a lit - 
U&  dista  it  ] “You  I believe  will  kill 
ni  ;.I  can  not  bear  the  idea  of  iny  daugh- 
ter; marrying  a sea  aptain  I can  no 
1 longer  live;  th.  ery  thoughts  will  drive 
1 me  mad  I have  no  son  to  bear  my  roya 
\ name  I expected  to  find  in  Stepas 
Luckana,  a desirable  >n  to  keep  the 
name  Oh!  Xeturah,  wht  would  your 
father  think  if  he  but  knew!” 

STEPAS  LUCKANA:— “^3  dear 
aunt,  I fear  that  cousin  Keturah  has 
misled  vou  I believe  her  to  be  engaged 


AiNDr^EMS  CFXITERATORE  203 

to  Uie  American  sea%  caotain  R„f  u 
fore  I Cal4>.  for  an  answer,  I wish  to  rp~ 
the  love  the’ averse  A^eri' 
N'?r0  °f  '”S  ofvncou". 

‘ •\n<1  too>  notwithstanding  the 
; Negrro-has  made  them  what  ^ ate 
l hfy  h*ve  ‘elled  the  forests,  tilled  the 

Wh;tUdo  thAmt  riCa  bl°SSOmslike - rose- 
what  do  thej  receive  for  their  over 

centuries  of  t.il?— Hardship  two 

tural^if ANA.:_1>  Keturah]  “But  Ke- 

T”  Ir- ! *~w 

a *V  I 1 ^ ould  seek  doath 

Give  me  my  sword  thatTm^*  CapWn! 

1 sh*l'  drown 
now  the  darV  onnce.  C?*™'  ] “°h! 

^hat  more?”  [Her  M^Ty  £JS  tseZ\ 


w,  • ?ro*americah  school  Sphakkr 
^aJ'a^brother  Cousin  Stepas  you 

c-  nev.  ^RS  i^Vhe 

fir'd  ii’io  mother  room  in  si^ht'ifh^‘  ™ 
Z Jives  are  administered  until  she  re 

vives.  Curtain  falls  ] 

ACT  IV 

[Scene  : the  early  down  Stefas Luckana 

n®URAHs-“Whj  cousin  bteps. 

y^TEPAS?-‘‘  ' ", “esctne  We  *» 
STkrA^>.  _ bcoK/’  1 on  enng 

4 little  reluctantly-] 


and  gems  of  eiterat&re.  205 

rSTEPAS— “Oh!  Keturah,  you  ha-e 
broken  my  b.an,  J0U  have’  k{„ed  ^ 

-.or  Heavens  sake,  for  the  sake  of  the 

hl\Tsa,dheYUCk"DaV,,JtraCt  tou 

ave  said  You  see  the  distress  v'<  nr 

motner  ism,  do  yo  mean  to  kill  t both 

iei,  me  ep.hati.allj  ana  at  once  o 

you  mean  to  fulfill  you.  engagement^ 

can  , , h consequent:,  vour  mother 

U w l‘t  fe  n'r,rP  Utl,der  llie  c'rcumstances; 

K pifn  , [ ? lt!i5  than  murder  ” 

d,  “I  mean  to 

' hln8  wrong  Of  curse  mother 

i««  “Ti  r ini\g  spe,is  and  is  ■<* 

f-  V Why  cousin  Stepas,  there 

is  J aaa  Santa,  that  just  worships  vou, 
and  very  one  admires  he  Captain 
beyinou,  says,  that  next  to  myself  si  , is 

the  half 6 HndSOmiest  'hdj  that  attended 
the  ball  Her  playing  is  just  splendid- 

toSmPEPAS  LUl  KA:''  • t — “Don’t  speak 
L -oymour.  I will  have 

^lled  \he  becomes  excitedX  I want  mv 

°feV°  te”  me  °*>«  for  all  ” 7 
ever  -,  , d!!;\H:'  ‘‘Cousin  -‘epa  ..  ! have 

everab  dedby  what  you  have  >.  d and 
have  listened  to  you  in  «.,T  , that  are 

past,  and  will  e-er  sc.k  your  a d^- 

sVvdVc^t  \stoPl>e'1  SUlldenly.] 

Yo  tl:  * L -"  'h  >es-  I understand 

marries  * ; our  determination  tc 

marry  Seymour? 


206 


AFRC  AMERICAN  SCHOOL  SPEAKER 


KETU RAH:-- [with  tears  in  her  eyes.] 

“I  can  but  say  with  due  respect  to  you, 
and  all  concerned,  that  i presist  in  mar- 
vinir  the  sea  captaiv 
STEP  AS [Bmotionu  ly,  ] “But  you 
have  killed  me,  killed  your  mother,  and 
disgraced  the  royal  b use  of  the  Luck- 
ana’s  Prepare  to  put  on  an  outward 
appearance  of  mourning.  Society  will 
demand  it.  That  will  be  all.  Iffj? 
Luckana  again  calls  his  groom  and.  tells 
him  that  it  is  time  por  them  to  depart. 
They  leave  together.  Stepasgoes  to  the 
sea  and  drowns  himself  Here  arrange  a 
tub  3x6  feet  filled  with  water  By  a little 
skill  you  can  have  some  hidden  one  drop  a 

brick  or  something  into  the  water , which 

will  make  » splash , as  Stef  as  falls  over  be- 
hind the  tub.  Curtain  falls.] 

ACT  V. 

rScENE : Her  Majesty  lying  on  a bed  in  an 
apparently  dying  condition , Keturah  ana 

servant  in  the  room.] 

HER  MAJESTY:— ‘We  me  s;me 
poison  and  let  me  go,  I Have  nothing 
more  to  live  for.  My  ambition  is  dead, 
mv  daughter  has  disgraced  the  house  ot 
the  Luck  ana’s.”  [With  this  she  lay  back 
exhausted  in  a swoon.] 

KETURAH: — ‘.‘Mot-ier,  oh!  mother, 
has  my  disobedience  killed  you,  please 
sneak  to  ine,  speak  to  your  child  one 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


207 


more  time.”  [Keturah  faints . The  ser- 
vant had  called  m a physician , who,  after 
trying  to  revive  her  Majesty,  who  was  dy- 
ing, revives  Keturah.  ] 

HER  MAJESTY:— “Keturah,  [Ketu- 
rah  rushes  to  her  bedside J my  child,  I am 
dying-,  I ill  rave  no  more.  Be  not 
alarmed,  I will  soon  go  hence  out  of  my 
misery.  1 must  bless  you  before  I die, 
and  I have  something  to  tell  you— a se- 
cret I have  long  kept  that  I must  now 
disclose.  • My  darling  you  have  a broth- 
er, who  of  course  you  have  never  heard 
of,  and  perhaps  may  never  see,  I do  not 
know.  But  if  you  should  chance  to  meet 
him,  treat  him  as  a brother.  Give  me 
the  toddy  Imust  tel!  it  now,  ves 
now.  Keturah,  I will  tell  you  why  1 de- 
test the  race  that  your  lover  belongs  to. 
Remember  that  I have  always  bei<  rged 
to  the  royal  family  * but  have  not  lived 
here.  1 have  lived  in  a larger  and  more 
beautiful  Isle  than  this.  My  father 
being  the  king  of  Pahtah  Island  as  you 
know,  was  rich  and  I being  the  only 
child,  was  a matter  of  course  petted  and 
spoiled.  1 was  sent  to  England  to  at- 
tend school,  there  I met  , and  loved  an 
Englishman.  He  too  was  of  the  be -t 
of  that  race.  He  won  mv  heart  andmar, 
ned  me.  To  my  utter  astonishment  r 
found  that  m Paris  he  had  a living  wife 

- fcave  an  undying  hatred  for  that  r:  ce. 


208.  AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE  . 

It  has  wrong-eel  me.  He  pretended  that 
he  had  obtained  a divorce,  I did  not  be- 
lieve him.  I had  seen  the  woman  that 
claimed  to  be  his  wife.  He  was  far  from 
being  rich  and  I had  just  recently  fallen 
heir  to  a large  fortune  by  the  death  of  an 
aunt.  He  spent  my  money  lavishly ; I 
went  to  London,  and  oh!  what  a predic- 
ament, it  makes  me  shudder  now,  that 
awful  day,  I shall  never  for  get.  I was  .. 
taken  to  a well  furnished  house  where  I 
was  introduced  as  ladies  maid  and  nurse  > 
My  treatment  of  course  was  kind,  but 
the  humiliation,  I asked  for  my  money  I 
could  not  get  it,  I was  penniless.  I 
tried  to  leave  the  house  but  was  haunttd 
down  by  him  and  brought-  back.  Oh!  H 
heavens  help  me  to  tell  it,  ere  I die. 
Give  me  a little  more  stimulant.  Well 
the  time  must  come  when  the  worst  must 
be  known  I had  been  / made  to  suffer  t 
through  his  indiscretion,  and  now  his 
wife  must  share  the  humiliation  with  me  • 
for  she  had  found  the  deception,  / 1 j 
was  pleased  I thought  that  she  would 
then  know  something  of  what  I felt  - 
when  I entered  ! the  house  without  a 
knowledge  of  her.  Things  have  come  to 
a crisis.  Most  assure  I must  do  some- 
thing. i now  had  a little  son,  and  she  (I 
mean  his  wife)  also  had  a son ; Mv 
child’s  curls  were  darker  than  that  of 
her  son’s  My  child  resei^bled  , myself  - 


AND  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE  209 

J?l  : " " ' J'.'I  ;# 

except  his  complexion,  and  that  was  fair. 
You  will  not  know  his  blood  by  his  skin. 
Her  son  was  fair  and  beautifnl.  " I left  the 
home  that  I had  acted  as  a slave  in,  and 
returned  to  mv  home,  a penniless  wom- 
an. I left  rnv  son  with  his  father,  a child 
of  twelve  months.  I left  him  in  a mansion 
in  the  city  of  London.  [raising  her 
hand\  Oh!  heavenly  father,  give  me 
strength  to  tell  it.  my  son  was  riutured 
there,  and  grew  up  with  his  brother,  not 
knowing;  that  they  were  twins.  But 
the  treachery  that  ever  belongs  to  that 
race  must  make  itself  known  in  the  mother. 
So  she! contrived  to  part  them.  She  had  my 
son  sent  to  Y^ur  tern  berg  to  College.  It  was 
here  that  I heard  that  he  died  but  I have 
never  believed  it.  I believed  that  this  wo- 
had  the  news  of  his  death  published  in  the 
leading  papers,  he  having  seen  it,  supposed 
that  for  some  cause,  the  family  desired  his 
death;  therefore  he  never  put  in  his  appear- 
ance. I>  want  you  to  search  for  him,  your 
brother;  do  not? give  it  up,  you  will  find  him. 
And  vod  promised  husband  I believe,  to  be- 
lieve, to  be  my  son’s  half  brother;  my  faith- 
less husb  inds  child.  Perhaps  he  can  tell 
you  if  it  is  he.  An  Keturah,  you  know  the 
«ause(or  one  reason  why)  Iso  bitterly  op- 
posed the  match.  And  too  I have— [ she 
could  not  get  the  woids  out ; she  out ; 
again  into  unconsciousness.  They 


9 


210  afko-american  school  speaker 

crave  her  restoratives,  and  after  some  time 
sfie  opened  her  eyes,  and  as  ij  by  some  iev- 
claJion,  she  began  where  she  left  off.]  I 
have  reasons  to  believe  that  Captain  Sey- 
mour is  my  husband’s  son.  For  my  de- 
ceptive husband  and  family  I learned  left 
London  for  America,  and  for  some  reason 
charged  their  names.  Oh!  shall  I hold 
out,  ' | Captain  Seymour  enters  the  room.] 
Yes,  changed  their  names.  Their  names 
were  Desant,  in  England;  but  I have 
heard  that  it  was  Seymour  in  America. 

| Captain  Seymour  shudders.]  I have 
strange  visions  in  my  dying  hours,  1 a 
see  my  son  and  your  brother,  a tall  wen 
built  man,  he  is  alive,  find  him.  His 
name  is  either  Desant,  or  Sinclair.  He 
was  christened  Charles  Sinclair  Desant. 
While  they  call  him  dead  he  may  call 
himself  Sinclair,  your  father  n#r  hispeo- 
r e knew  of  this  son.  After  my  return  to 
n V native  Isle  I married  the  King  of  ltah 
bland,  and  thus  became  queen,  which 
j,  ves  you  the  rank  of  Princess.  I have 
i,  id  you  all,  do  as  you  like. 
You  have  my  blessing.”  [She 
h,  caks  down  and  could  not  say  anything 
more.  She  never  rallies,  but  sinks  into 
that  slumber,  that  knows  no  wokn  » . 
Keturah  is  borne  away  from  the  si  < , , . / 
death.  Curtain  falls.] 


> 


AKD  GEMS  OF  LITERATURE. 


211 


ACT  VI. 

[Scene:  The  art  galery  at  Rome.  Ke - 

lurch  'iid  Cift.  Seymour  marriea , ana 
Selicia  and  Sinclair  married , meet  here 
unexpectedly . 

C A P 1' . JSE  YMO U R : — [looking  towards 
Sinclair  and  Selicia , as  if  he  were  trying 
to  recognize  them.}  “Ketnrab,  I believe 
I se*  tny  old  friend,  Capt.  Sinclair.  Yes 
it  is  he,  but  as  I live  he  has  a lady  on  his 
arm,  and  Lis  Ideal,  a blonde.  [ they 
approach  nearer  each  other.} 

KKTURAH:—  [gently}  “My  dear,  do 
you  not  regret  having'  so  dark  a woman 
for  a bride,  after  secing-such  a lilly  white 
beauty  as  she?”  [nodding  to  the  lady 
hanging  upon  Capt.  Sinclair's  arm.} 
SELICIA: — [ looking  surprised}  “Who 
is  that?”  ■ * 

SINCLAIR: — Why  my  friend,  Capt. 
Seymour.”  [felicia  recogniz'd  Capt 
Seymour  as  her  old  liver,  out  vusj  fur- 
pris  d to  see  the  dark  beauty  fr>  his  side.} 
CAPT.  SEYMOUR : — [as  they  met 1 
“Such  a strang-e  co-incidence.” 

CAPT.  SINCLAIR: — “A  1 1 o vr  me 
Capt.  Seymour,  to  present  you  to  mv  wife. 
Mrs.  Selicia  Latelle  Sinclair.” 

CAPT.  SEYMOUR: — Tver  so  pleased 
to  meet  you,  Madam  Sinclair,  I suppose, 
Capt.  Sinclair,  you  are  acquainted  with 
Miss  Keturab  Lnckana;  the  Princess  of 
Itah  Island,  now  my  wife.” 


21 1 afro-amef  ic an  school  a ker 

SINCLAIR:— “ I must  admit  I am  a 
liule  suprised  But  nevertheless  I must  ex- 
tend you  a happy  greeting  ” H*. 

SEYMOUR: — “Sinclair,  looking  at  Sin- 
clair strangely ] I w ish  to  reveal  a secret 

SINCLAIR'- — [ jumps  to  his  feet,  moves  his 
hands  and  looks  excited ] “A  Secret,  what 

SEYMOUR:—  “I  hope  y°«  win  not  tike 
umbrage,  in  fact  brothers  sbou  d not  fal  out. 
SINCLAIR: — “Seymonr, talk  more  plainly. 
What  do  you  mean  by  brothers?  . 

SEYMOUR — “ The  dark  Princess,  now 
Vr*  Seymour,  whom  you  used  to  desp.se, 
is  ....  less  a person  than  your  half  sister,  and 
1 am  vour  half  brother.”  . . 

SINCLAIR: — POh!  Mercy,  what  injus- 
tice I have  done  my  mother,  [throws  if  hi* 
hands]  Heavm  help  me  to  bear  it  Had  i 
known  all  I could  have  made  amends.  I see 
through  it  all  now.  The  dark  princess  whom 
t despised,  and  who  isnow  your  wife,  is  my 
half  sister,  my  equal,  yea  my  superior  It 
was  all  prejudice.  Honor  and  shame  f om 
mmditiona  rise.  [ They  embrace.  Curtail » 


falls . 


THE  LNl> 


INDEX 

A 

PAGE 

A Careless  Word 

51 

Advice  to  Both  Races  ...  ...... 

114 

A Fairer  Hope,  a Brighter  Morn 

91 

An  Appeal  to  mv  White  Brother 

11 

A Negro  Musing  

143 

B 

By — Laws  ...... 

164 

C ,L 

J.  | ' -r  ) , / 

Christmas  A,,  ...... 

72 

Citizenship 

62 

D 

Darkness  . 

5.8 

Death  of  Rev.  Heo  Whitfield  ,,,, 

89 

F 

Fortune  on  His  Race  ...... 

jc;  1 

32 

Foitn  of  Constitution  4 .... 

160 

Frederick  Douglas  . 

12-6  ; 

C* 

Oeorge  Washing-ton— an  Eulogy  . 

85 

« 

Haiti  . 

119 

He  Kissed  a Negro  Child 

185  . 

INDEX — Continued. 


I PAGE 

;n  Memoriam — T he  Grand  Old  Man  47 

Intemperate'  • - • * * * * 

[introduction  • 

It  Might  Have  Been  . • • • 

^ « I • 

Je»  Blurt  Kit  Out  . • • 

Jesus  Saviour,  Pilot  Me  . . • 

Li. 

Life’s  Struggles  • • • • • 

N. 

Nearing  Home  * * 

Negro  Problem  Dissected 

On  the  Death  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Price 


SB 

7 

ISO 

187 

142 

60 

7*) 

124 

74 


Parliamentary  Rules  . * * 3 

Preface  • • * * 757 

Prologue  • • • * * yS2 

Prosperity  • • 

H. 


Rules  for  Organizing 
Literary  Societies,  1 ; 
ing  Clubs,  etc. 


vc*  < ‘inducting 
LeuiiiS,  DeJiat- 

. . • • 159 


s. 


Signs  of  the  Times  a . . • 

Simple  Content 

Stonewall  Jackson  . . • • 

Supplement  . • • * • 


128 

188 

38 

1-1 


INDEX — Continued. 


T PAGE 

The  Alarm  of  a Penitent  . • . 130 

^ uy  .ire  Coming  , 99 

'i  ne  Black  Sampson  ....  96 

The  Crucifixion  ....  78 

T »-day  . ...  122 

T 1 2 Farm  House  by  the  River  . . 45 

The  Influence  of  Negro  Citizenship  16 
The  Myrtle  Hill  Cate  ....  59 

The  Negro’s  Place  in  History  . . 102 

Tke  Negro  “In  it”  ....  30 

The  New  Negro  ....  109 

The  Night  of  Death  . . . 138 

The  Outlook  . . . 21 

The  Princess  f Itah  Island  . . . 193 

The  Reason  Why  . . 42 

The  Right  Will  Triumph  . . . 113 

file  River  of  Deatn  ...  54 

Time  and  Things  Have  Changed  ....  132 

The  Pa-Tor  137 

Tous^alnt  L Ouverture  152 

True  Wealth  13 

W 

M 

Wanted — Higher  Ideals  27 

We  are  Rising  ...  ....  -2 

What  is  a R i inbow?  . . ....  91 

When  V'  ean*  Dead  56 

Woman's  Culture  80 

Write  Thy  Name  61 


I 


/ 


. 


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